Love In Transylvania
by Valeria Dylan
Summary: A young, beautiful girl is kidnapped by the a vampire and forced into immediate marriage. Her troubled past leads her to love and a whole new world awaits the couple. A romantic tale with humane emotions and a side of love never seen before...
1. Prologue

He knew he had a mission to complete, and no matter how unpleasant it would be, he knew he had to do it. Someone had told him that she goes every evening to the cliff and sits there for hours on end. He had to go there today, and find her, corner her and bring her with himself. So he made his way through the forest, choosing not to fly so that she wouldn't know it was he. So he put on his hood, covered his face and began his journey.

Why did it have to be this way, he thought to himself, as he made his way quickly through the forest. Why did he have to be this way with her? There was no way she would understand you, said a voice in his head, that's why you have to do this. She is scared of you, and society has made it this way. There is nothing you can do, except this. Give her the chance to hear you out, and then maybe she will give you a chance too.

From what he had found out about her, she was already with someone. That man was known in the entire village to lead women astray and he was also known as a thief. The count wondered why she was with him. But he had found out about that too. According to people, the man had been voicing his love for her for more than a year now, and she had felt sorry for him and accepted his proposal. They were set to marry soon, but there was a glitch to this plan. The man was a violent drunk and a philanderer who treated Katrina with cruelty. There were horrors this girl knew which she hadn't disclosed to anyone, but rumors travel faster than fire, thought the count. Anyway, he would try his hardest to set her free from this monster and perhaps she would come quietly.

He had reached some sort of opening, and he hid behind a tree. He had been right to come he realized as he watched a young maiden sitting by herself, looking out over a cliff. She was a sight to see, he thought to himself as he looked beyond the tree trunk. She was all alone, which was ironic, because she was a beautiful young maiden, and girls like here were not usually alone. But he knew that she felt alone too, so maybe it was a relief for her to come and find bliss in a place like this. Too bad he was going to put an end to that bliss now…

He walked out from behind that tree and came up behind her, slowly and quietly. He could almost feel her heartbeat quicken instantly and it was resounding in his head like a drum. She knew someone was there, he could tell that she knew, through the muted gasp she took and the way she became immobile.

"Who is there," she said, in a quavering voice, "Stop right there, don't come any closer."

"Why don't you turn around and see who is it then?" he asked softly of the girl sitting rigidly at the edge of the cliff.

She turned slowly, holding her breath and her throat tightening. She saw him standing there and she gasped loudly this time. He was standing above her, blocking her only escape, she noticed.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, with a note of anger in her voice.

"To talk," he replied in a hushed tone.

She tried to hide fear and said, "I'm not going to talk, so you can leave."

He looked at her, screening her thoughts and said, "Oh, but we must talk."

She began, "I don-

"I don't see any harm in talking, do you?" he said softly, "So what's a beautiful girl like you sitting alone on a cliff?"

She looked petrified now, but said, "That, is none of your business."

"Off course it isn't, but don't you think it's a little unsafe here, especially for you?" he added, savoring the last two words.

"You've proven that haven't you," she said, unabashed this time.

"Oh, please don't misunderstand me," he said to the undoubtedly terrified girl, "I am not here to hurt you. I have business with you, and I wanted a proper discussion."

"You, you aren't here to hurt me?" she asked with a blatant note of disbelief in her voice. "Then why am I cornered at the edge of the cliff?"

"Being at the edge of the cliff is your own choice," he said casually, "being cornered is your own perception."

"Then, Let me go," she said.

"What's the hurry?" he asked sweetly. "Lets talk for a moment."

"I am leaving," she said, with finality in her voice.

He realized she wasn't going to listen to anything he said, so he had no choice. He had no choice but to do it. She had to listen to him; she really had to hear what he had to say to her. If she didn't, she wouldn't have the chance to choose.

She turned to face the edge of the cliff and stared out.

"Are you afraid of heights?" he asked, relaxed.

"Yes," she said, quivering, "Very afraid."

He came up behind her, very close and she could feel his breath on her neck as she clutched onto air, situated on the rim of the vertical cliff.

"Then be prepared to be very, very scared," he said softly in her ear. The words had barely registered in her ear, when he suddenly grabbed her and jumped off the cliff. It was at least a two-thousand-foot drop into the river, and she didn't even have time to scream. She had fallen unconscious in his arms and didn't see him transform into his nightly form…that despicable form, the vampire bat.

He carried the unconscious girl in his arms and when they reached the castle, he returned to his human self, and took her up the stairs and into a room. He laid the girl onto a bad and covered her with sheets to keep her warm in the frosty castle. He didn't know what to do now…

So he waited, waited in the room for hours, till it was beginning to become quite dark. He left the room to check on the servants and decided to return after a while. He would find something to do in wait of her awakening.

Meanwhile, as he left the sleeping girl to herself, she had begun to stir.

Katrina woke with blurry eyes and an aching back in a place she didn't know. Had it all been a dream? Was it really him she had seen? She hoped it wasn't, because that couldn't mean anything good. Where was she? It was a quiet room and she could make out it was very dark now outside. Shouldn't she be getting home by now? But still, where was she?

She got out, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and jumped to life out of the bed. She ran to the door and clutched the handle with dear life and wrenched it towards herself. But no matter how hard she yanked it, it wouldn't budge.

It's locked, she thought, now panicking as she stood at the door trying still to open it. But she could hear footsteps now, and she quickly backed away from the door and moved towards the bed, stricken with fright.

He extended his hand towards the door, slipped the key into the hole and twisted it. The door began to creak open…


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

Katrina will never forget the moment when he walked through that door. It swung open the Count walked in and snapped the doors shut, latching it behind him. She shivered where she stood; trying hard not to look at the man she probably feared the most in this world. There weren't enough monsters in this world that could drive her soul out of her, but this man could, with one look. He was dressed in a royal black suit with a closed-collar that extended till his knees under which were black pants and a cloak to complete the picture. His eyes…they were like frozen lakes or dull diamonds, a clear blue-gray shining with secrecy and power. His hair was untied, a long and smooth black mane of it, hanging till his neck. This man had a power over her she couldn't explain and no matter how much she averted her eyes, his seemed to be piercing through her like a hot knife.

"Do you feel cold Katrina?" he asked, with a sneer curling at the ends of his sculpted lips noticing a shiver rippling through her skin, "I can arrange something, maybe blankets, or if you'd like, ummm, a hot shower?"

"It is ok, it is just a passing chill," she said, still trying not to notice his eyes screening the arc of her waist. "Why am I here?" she asked, getting to the question that had been bothering her since she woke up in this cold and draughty castle. "I think I should be getting back soon, it is late, and my people will worry." It was a plea she wished he would abide with, for the closer his footsteps neared, the faster her heart thumped against her skin.

"Too many questions, too little time. Where should I begin? Ahhh…why are you here? Why are you here…I wonder why you are here. Yes, I remember now, you are here because I have brought you here. If you remember the events of the evening, I have brought you here tonight to stay here. There will be no arguments about this." He added with a sharp look at her.

"I know that you have brought me here, that is evident since I am here in your castle. My question was, why you have brought me here. And…" she gasped and stalled mid-sentence struggling to gain the courage to complete it, "and…when can I leave."

The Count laughed a short laugh and then said, "Yes, please forgive me milady, I have not been very forthcoming nor a very good host. The reason you are here is because of your destiny. Destiny has decided that you should be here with me, right here, right now, tonight."

"I refuse to believe that, it is not destiny Count, it is you, it is you who has brought me here and I did not just land here through destiny's hand – "

"- Oh no, you misunderstand me. I did not mean that your being here was magical or anything as such, I meant that I have brought you here because I wanted you to be here," He cut across her panicked retort.

"I don't understand! I really don't know why you try and kill me and then decide to keep me in your dingy castle? I wake to find myself locked, unable to get out of this unknown place! I need some kind of explanation!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes, stinging them and bringing that strange stretched feeling in her being.

Leonard whispered, "You are to be my bride. Tonight." For the first time that night, he turned his eyes away from her and looked out of the window.

She was shocked beyond words and she turned to look at him and looked for a long, long time. "Say that again…"

"You must be my wife, I will not rest without having you." He still had face turned away from her, towards the window.

"Can't there be anyone else? I'm telling you, I've seen many more beautiful girls than me in the city, they are beautiful and much better than I am," she pleaded.

He turned to face her, piercing her eyes with his cold gray ones, his face barely a couple of inches away, "That is a lie. I have handpicked you among you thousands, there is no one more beautiful than you, and you know it. There is no point in trying to convince me change my mind. I have made my decision and you will be my bride, tonight." He said, tasting the words.

"I am begging you," she entreated, trying to dig out some emotion from his face, "I am too young to marry, please you mustn't do this, I don't want to marry now. I too young please, take what you want from me, but please let me go home tonight."

"Too young? I know how old you are; I know everything about you, every single thing," he whispered and stroked my lip with his finger, tracing it softly, "and you are not too young. Not too young to let a man make you happy, and I will make you very happy. You will not regret it for a day of your life."

Her voice was choked with tears and she could barely let a sound escape out of her tightened throat, "Not regret it? You kill innocent people for their blood and you don't know how to treat a live woman! If I marry you I will go down in history as just another one of your ill-fated victims! How can you prove that it won't happen? You cannot because it is more than probable that it is. I have a man waiting for me, I man who treats me well, a man who has never hurt me and never can. How can I let him down, when we have already planned to marry?"


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

He did not look very angry, but just a little frustrated with what she had said. He whispered in low tones, "I don't think that you know anything about me. How then can you assume that I am bad to my women or that I am a bloodthirsty killer with only wrath in my heart, incapable of loving or feeling love? Do not be presumptuous, and as for your man waiting at home, he is nothing but an unsuccessful and an unfaithful wretch. He has never loved you for a day; he has used you and will throw you away. Do you really think that a man like that could ever be trusted? No wonder he chose you to dupe! You trusted his scheming like a fool! He has been with multiple women since he expressed the desire to marry you six months from now! I know what he does to you. You know what he does to you."

Katrina stood there shocked. How did he know? How could he know, when no one else knew? Tears began to stream down her face.

"You know nothing of him. He has don't nothing to me." She was shaking with anger.

"He hasn't done anything yet, anything permanent. Run before he does, you know what I am talking about, don't you?" His voice was calm, smooth and unlike hers.

"He would never force me!"

"Well, he did beat you when you refused him the last time. Maybe next time it will be worse that a slap." He looked outside again and said, "That woman, his umm…acquaintance, was not his cousin, and if she was, then they seem to be kissing cousins."

She couldn't believe it, and why should she have? It was nothing but a lie from a man who wanted to hoodwink her. "There is no proof and no reason I should believe you. You should no better than to think that after you have kidnapped a girl, she will believe your lies."

He laughed with an honest laugh, "You're very blind. I admire the man, he cheats on you in your own house and you still love him with all your heart. Look back, think of the times you've suspected his infidelity and you will see what a fool you have been for not trusting yourself."

Katrina recalled his cousin, the pretty girl who came to visit for month. She told them a different name, but Meralaus always called her another name by mistake, it happened about thrice. She remembered his mysterious visits to his mother, who was then revealed to have been dead for a decade, and that story had never made sense to her till date. On thinking back, Katrina thought, Meralaus had been highly secretive, violent and cold ever since they had been together.

"I will burn that house down, along with Meralaus," she stated with loathing bubbling in her veins, since realization came to her.

"Do you believe me now? I have not lied to you, not even once. I have meant you no harm and neither have you been unsafe since you have been with me, except for that once part in the forest. I am not here to kill you; I could kill a million others. You are here to be my wife and you are here so you can start a new life where I can make you a queen and give you the life most others would die for."

She didn't know what to say, all that he had said was true, yet the idea was ludicrous. How could she marry a vampire? A vampire? He promised he would not hurt her, but then so had Meralaus. "I cannot marry you. Kill me if you have to. Kill me now. I cannot marry you. I hardly know you and you are a vampire." I spat the words out, words like poison, poison to my own ears, "That is the truth. I am afraid of you, I cannot marry a man who I fear and I shall not do it."

He smiled, quite warmly and said quietly, "Well, at the least you are honest. I shall not hold it against you. You do, however, have to marry me, so the wedding takes place at midnight tonight, in the forests." He said it with finality in his voice and her blood boiled with fury at his words. "Be ready and we shall be married tonight. If you refuse to do so quietly, there are ways I can make it happen." His eyes glowing in the moonlight, and she knew this wouldn't be wise. He leaned very close, and as his hands uncomfortably ran over her torso's contours he brushed his lips over her neck making the hair on her neck and back shiver into erection. He raised his face and said, "Also, there is dinner in an hour in the dining chambers right outside your bedroom, and so I shall see you there soon. There are clothes for you and all the accessories you need in the closet and if there is anything else, come to the chambers and I am there."


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

She had nothing to say. She was going to be married, tonight, in the wilderness somewhere, to a vampire. No one would be there, and her fate was in the hands of a vampire, a bad place for it to be. The Count shut the door behind him leaving a ringing silence in the room and Katrina in a corner waiting for death to come to her, on her wedding night.

She could hold it in no longer. The tears came streaming down my face and she shuddered and gasped in the dark, alone…all alone. There was no one to come and comfort her and even the man who had pledged her eternal faithfulness had fornicated with a collection of women in the presence of his future wife. She was broken, beaten, betrayed and the only thing left to do was to go quietly into my own doom. Yes, this marriage was going to happen and she had no choice. She was going to let it happen and it would happen quietly.

She sat there, in that corner, her tears becoming painful when she realized she would have to go for dinner in about half an hour. She got up and opened the closet where the Count had said she would find everything she needed. He was right indeed. There were about fifty shelves filled with clothes, cosmetics and everything she would need. She chose a black lace dress, the simplest dress she could find, and even this looked fit for a queen. She undressed and slipped on the black cloth over her self. It felt soft and delicate. She was ready in a few minutes, and yes she looked beautiful. She wanted to look beautiful for him because inwardly she was flattered that it was her he had chosen, for he was known to charm the most beautiful women in this world. Her mind had never been more confused because she was curious and strangely attracted to the man she feared. She slipped on a pair of elegant black pumps and a silver chain around her neck that hung down to her chest, causing a sensual curve in its arrangement.

She took a deep hollow breath and stepped out of the room, walked a few paces and opened the door to the chambers. He sat there, a very handsome man, a very classy man and a man that waited for her with his hands clasped together near the dining room. As she entered, he smiled, perhaps a warmer smile than she had seen from him before.

"Sit" he said, drawing a chair for her, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

"Thank you for the clothes and everything else, they are beautiful," she said, trying to forget that possible doom lay at my feet.

"You look beautiful. The clothes are dull on you, you look very beautiful." He said it with a yearning look on his face and his eyes swept the length of her dress and the modest crest of her breasts.

Katrina veiled her eyes away from his and he realized that his involuntary gaze had created an awkward situation so he said, "Well, dinner is ready and awaits you. Please forgive my humble arrangements, I did not know what you would desire, I have not known for a while what royal maidens desire." He added with a laugh.

It was anything but humble. She had never seen such a feast before. There were dishes filled with glorious food she had never even seen before. "Humble? My lord, you seem to have forgotten that I am only one person. This was not necessary at all," She said, the surprise not leaving her eyes.

"Not at all, you will eat all you want. Anything that catches your fancy, along with this delicious bottle or red I have been keeping for something special." He said, holding a dusty bottle with a dull blackish liquid sloshing inside it.

"I wouldn't mind some of that actually," she said, her eyes not leaving his, the eyes that held her gaze…they were so beautiful, so filled with mysteries she was itching to solve.

She filled her platter with food that was very succulent but the Count did not, he merely sat in a corner and waited with his chin resting on his folded hands. She shuddered; maybe there was something in the food. Had the count lied to her face when he said he meant her no harm?

"I cannot eat food," he said as if reading her mind, "A vampire cannot eat food, nor drink water or this wine. No, the food has not been tampered with and you can eat it. I however have not tasted food for many, many years now.

Despite herself, she put a piece of chicken into my mouth, and after a few seconds it seemed okay to transfer a bit more.

"It has also been close to four-hundred years since I have seen a woman eat," he smiled and said, "I like it."

Unwillingly a very deep blush tinted her face as she smiled and looked away. This man made her feel very awkward, like she was a branch that jutted out in a picturesque tree or an unusual animal constantly stared at.

After the food was eaten and Katrina had savored some of the best wine she had ever tasted before, she got up to go freshen up in the room. After she returned to the chambers, the count was still seated there. He got up and walked towards her. She stopped mid-step and wondered what he would say because he looked a little tense. He said, "I'm afraid it is time now milady. We must be married by midnight. You will have an hour and little more to dress in accordance. I have brought you a dress and it lies ready in your room along with the rest of whatever you will require. I hope to see you here in little over an hour. Also, there is a hot bath ready for you and a fire heating your room as we speak. If there is anything at all that you need, the room next to yours, is mine and you can knock and I shall answer."

"I shall meet you here soon. Thank you for the preparations," she said, with despair on her face.

"Isn't a wedding the happiest day of one's life? Do not quail before a happy day." He said, a hand caressing her cheekbone.


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

She retreated into my room and found the dress on her bed. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her whole life. It was gorgeous as it lay on the bed and she could not believe such a thing existed. It was not white, as most wedding dresses were; it was a light shade of crème and gold studded with dull gold sequins and crystal. It was a strapless dress with a netted gold rose made at the left breast and it was made of silk, the softest silk her hands had ever touched before. It was flared till the ankles and everywhere it glowed with magic, the magic that her eyes refused to acknowledge, even on her own wedding day.

The shower was wonderful and she dressed for the most special day of her life, with mixed feelings. She wished that he thought she was the most beautiful bride that there ever was, but inwardly, she did not think so. She was dressed in the jewels that hung on her body and the diamonds that clung to her bosom, but her heart was not content. It was not content because it had had no time to consider whom it was being presented to. The count would not mistreat my heart, but how could she be sure? Her heart, body, mind and soul were not in correlation at this moment, when the rest of her life was in someone else's hands. Her heart actually wanted this man very badly, more desperately than she could imagine, for he had a power and mystery that captivated her, and he had been good to her. Her mind, intent on not being a fool was putting up a fight. She knew somewhere in her subconscious that in case this all went bad, there was no way she could escape nor have any chance of getting her life back. Her body wanted him, and there was no way she could deny it; it craved his every touch and yes it wanted all of him. Her body was shackled to reigns her mind had tightened. If given a chance, she would break free and be in his arms this moment.

She was ready, in perfect gold sandals and the dress, that magical dress, as she knocked at his door. It swung open after a few seconds and he stood at the door, not just a man anymore, but a groom. He was wearing a vicar cloak and looked absolutely divine. He took her hand and said, "Katrina, you are the most beautiful bride there ever was." She looked up at him and said, "You are…the most handsome groom I have ever seen." He replied with that, a smile forming at his lips, "either way, we're both right." She laughed and he held her in his arms, touching her lightly.

"Shall we?" he said, holding his arm out for her to hold. She slipped her arm in his and he led her down the castle's winding stairs to the front gates where there stood waiting, a chariot. He led her into it and closed the door behind him, leaving his help to lead the chariot. As the vehicle moved, the count took her hand and said, "Is everything to your taste? Do you feel okay?" She looked at his anxious face and said, "What do you think?" He answered, "It is the greatest day of my life and I will never regret it." She smiled, a little reassured and said, "I am in love with this night." He seemed to like the transformation in her.

They stopped moving and as they got off, she saw a place that was as beautiful and magical as she always wished her wedding could be. It was a small altar covered with a vine ceiling and no seats and there were lamps, small white oil lamps. The groom took her hand and brought her to the lit altar. She was sad that no on would ever see her like this, but there was a relief in her too. The ground was beautiful; a grassy earth covered in midnight dew and the sky was clear with a large opal moon hanging in it. The trees were tall and the bushes large around the altar, but some of the land around it had been cleared. She could not get my eyes off the beautiful small oil lamps hanging around the altar and the crème colored net hangings draped around the area.

A man stepped out from behind the bushes and said, "Is everything the way you wanted it your highness? Is there anything else I can cater to my lord?" The man looked very scared and yes, he was sweating and looked like he was in mental agony.

"It is a job well done. Take your belongings from the carriage, they lie in the back compartments," replied the count.

"Thank you, master," said the man and he rushed to the chariot, bringing back with him a flushed face and a large bag, which jingled with a metallic sound, probably money.

The count looked at the flustered man and said, "Marry us."

"Yes off course master," replied the cleric. "Please, would you both step up the altar with me, and place yourselves before God-

"Okay, okay it's a wedding not a prayer meeting," said the count impatiently and Katrina smiled at his disdain for the rituals of religion, even weddings.

The shaken man apologetically said, "Sorry my lord, I forgot that you did not want any religious interference in this wedding."

"Yes, so continuing on, do you, Count Vladislaus Dragulia vow to take this woman, Katrina Molkaviqch as your wife, to cherish, love and respect, for all eternity?"

The count replied softly, "yes."

"But are you really sure you'd do that, I mean, can you be sure you can do that?" said the priest in a high voice

"Off course I can do that you idiot," said the count harshly. She smiled again, this man was very scared of him, and the count liked to keep it that way.

"Sorry, and, do you, Katrina Molkaviqch vow to take this man, Count Vladislaus Dragulia as your husband, to cherish, love and respect, for all eternity?"

He looked at her, and the count gave her a fleeting look too, and then turned away to look at the expectant priest. There was a tight silence in the gathering, and her throat was clenched in it too. This was her only chance to deny this man; she had a chance to say no, to run away into the forest and perhaps escape him. She didn't want to escape. Where would she go, to her adulterous man, to her hopeless family or her scattered friends?

"Yes I do."

There seemed to be a sharp release of strain, and the priest whispered something along the lines of, "thank god, or she'd be dead" under his breath, to which the count shot him a filthy look.

"Where are the rings?" asked the priest.

The count looked in his pocket, put his hand and drew out a small cloth. "Here, I have them."

The priest said, "place this ring on the groom, please."

He handed her the ring, it was a plain gold band with her name written on the inside. She slipped it on the groom's finger.

"Place this ring on the bride, please."

The groom took the ring and then her hand and slipped it onto her finger. The ring was silvery, like platinum and had a butterfly on its front studded with bluish-gray diamonds, just like his eyes.

The priest said, "I pronounce you man and wife." Then he looked at count and said, "You can kiss the bride now."

"You can count on that," said the count with a smile on his face, his eyes aglow in the lamplight making them seem like little lamps too.

He held her in his arms and kissed her softly, his lips warm, pressing against hers. He smelled very good, like a man should smell, of musk of some sort. She liked the taste of his lips, it ignited a strange sensation in her body, and she felt very weak yet it felt electric, like an enjoyable spark in her limbs. It was a very good kiss, a very, very good kiss.

The priest looked a little out of place and was turning his eyes away. The count drew away from her and said, "your services are greatly appreciated, only, spare another couple the benefit of your mid-ceremonial comments."

"Sorry my lord, and thank you for this. " he pointed at the bag, as big as a pillowcase, full of money.

He left, through the forest and after a few seconds they heard the movement of a horse somewhere in the darkness.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

The count embraced her, and kissed her again. They were there, under the stars, under the lit altar and she felt wanted by someone after a very long time. She felt loved, and yes she felt very beautiful, being kissed by this gorgeous man under the peeping stars.

He was really a very handsome man, she thought as he continued to kiss her so passionately, with all of his soul. It was intense, and it felt like time was dissolving away as she stood, in his arms, being kissed by him. Putting aside all the controversial events of the night, Katrina couldn't believe how handsome this man was, and what he possibly saw in her.

The count drew away from her and took her back to the carriage, where they drove back to the castle savoring their privacy for a few more minutes. She was a little skeptical about what would happen now, and she really didn't want to think about it. She was quiet throughout the short journey back to the castle, but she had a jumble of thoughts in her mind. The count tried to make her feel better, and to loosen her up a little so he tried to get her to talk. She did feel a little better when he ended the awkward silence and seemingly normal when she got out of the chariot. When they did get out, the count swept her into his arms and carried her into the castle. She giggled at this charming gesture and he took her up the winding stairs, till they reached back to his chambers. He put her down, his gray eyes shining against the dark skies outside.

Katrina was scared now. Would he want what she feared he wanted from her? She knew that as a wife, it was her duty to give her husband what he wanted, but she was scared. She knew what happened after a wedding, on the wedding night and she was sincerely anxious. She had never been with a man before, and she did not know what she was really supposed to do if such a situation arose.

The count opened the chambers and led her into his room, it was very dark there and there was a single dark red lamp glowing on a desktop. Katrina entered after him and he waited to shut the doors. He latched them, and moved to the other end of the room to open the curtains and let some moonlight inside. The room became a mixture of silver-blue and deep maroon colors as the moon and the lamplight filled the room, still keeping it a very dark room. She looked around, and saw what a nice room it was. She was brought back to her fears as the count returned from latching the doors shut and locking them up. She was alone, in this room, with a man and no one would hear her if she needed help. There was no one to hear her if she screamed. Okay stop thinking like this, she thought, he's not going to do anything to you and if he wanted to, he would have done it a long time ago. She tried to avoid his eyes as he came closer. He was getting closer and she was starting to breathe deeper. He was close now, a little too close she thought.

The count came even close to her and slipped his hand around her, grasping her around her waist. He pulled her close, and she gave a short, hollow gasp. He looked into her eyes, those warm eyes, as black as coal and said, "Are you scared?" Katrina was very scared of what they were about to do, but didn't want him to think she was. She said, "Scared of what?" she had however given her fear away by answering in a trembling voice. Her legs were trembling and if they didn't stop now, they would probably give away she thought worriedly. "Don't be. I'll be gentle," he whispered in her ear.

"Gentle with what," she said, trying to act as if she didn't know what he was talking about, "what's to be gentle about?"

He knew exactly what her game was and he tried to gently reason with her, "It's okay if you're scared, I know it's your first time."

She was blacking out now and she hurriedly said, "Please, I can't do this. I'm not ready for this, I'm too scared."

He kissed her gently and said, "Loosen up, and don't worry so much. Its not as bad as you think it is."

She pulled away from him jerkily and stood there looking awkward. She was starting to pant now, "No, no you don't understand, it really hurts. I cant do it, I'm not ready for this."

He looked a little disappointed and said, "I understand, off course."

They were quiet for a really long time. He looked really upset, but didn't show it. He merely stood by the window and looked out of it for a long, long time. She hadn't meant it to be like this, she really hadn't.

"Hey," she said tenderly, walking over to him and looking apologetic, "I'm sorry. I exploded there, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that."

He turned to look at her and he was calm, but his eyes were colder now. They were uncomfortably cold and they made Katrina turn away. He said, "Its not your fault. I hope you will have a comfortable night."

He turned swiftly and moved towards the door in a single motion. Something gripped her deep inside, and she felt really stupid. So when he opened the door, she choked out the words, "Don't go! This is your room. Don't go. I'm really sorry, I don't know what to say." She looked very exasperated.

He looked apologetic now and came inside and closed the door behind himself. He said, "I didn't mean to make you think that I was forcing you. I was just embarrassed, that's why I was leaving. I really don't want to force you."

She knew he meant it. If he had wanted to force her, he had had every opportunity tonight. Even before this, he could have thrown her down and ravaged her. He didn't do that. She was being a fool and she realized it. Here was this handsome man, and he was at hers. How could she leave her wedding night incomplete? She was going to miss out on her most awaited night wasn't she if she denied him? She wanted him, but oh the fear that was in her veins. The fear of being with someone, it was really haunting her now. But she knew that the pain wasn't the only thing scaring her. She was scared he wouldn't find her attractive, and that he might lose interest in her quite quickly. Right now however, it was the pain, which was scaring the daylights out of her. But she had to do it sometime, so why not now…


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

"I take it all back," she said, derisorily, but it was sweet. "Lets pick up where we were."

He looked confused now, and said, "No, I forced you to say that. I don't want you to do something so, so important to you, which you aren't ready for."

She looked even more bewildered than he looked and said, "I was confused, and I thought about it. It's my wedding night, and its never going to happen again you know? I really think I want to do this, I'm just, really scared." she looked almost tearful now.

"Oh, I've upset you now-

"No, No its not you. I just wish I wasn't so scared of this." She wished the pain would be really great so that she wouldn't think of him not being attracted to her.

The count seemed to guess there was more to this than meets the eye, so he softened his expression. He said, "You don't need to worry about anything. I know you're worried about more than pain, I'm right?"

She nodded, mortified.

He smiled genially and held her hand. He said, "You're so beautiful tonight, and every other night. Just leave it to me, I'll look after you."

There was a sharp intake of breath and she said, "Please be slow, and really, really tender."

"I promise you. If it is too painful, stop me, because I don't care. If you don't stop, I will."

He gently pulled her close to himself, and kissed her. Her kiss was still light and innocent. He pulled away from her, when she breathed gulps of fear into her heaving lungs. They kissed again when she had calmed a little more, and his hands ran over her neck, holding it and stroking it softly. There was too much silence, she thought, too quiet for her. She threw those thoughts out of her head and tried to enjoy the moment. It was very awkward too, she thought and then reprimanded herself for ruining the mood. Trying very hard, she loosened herself a little bit and trying not to think of embarrassing thoughts. He was still kissing her, she realized, and she began to kiss him back and actually make some sort of an effort from her side. She ran her fingers over his chest, that broad chest and he moved his hands down to hers. Now she was really mortified and there was no way she could pull his hands away from her breasts. Her breasts laced in that wedding corset were petite, just like her own tiny frame.

The count held Katrina and lay her down on the lavish bed, on its deep red satin sheets and moved on top of her. It was with a lithe ease he placed himself on top of her, and held her. As they kissed, he began to unlace her gown and to pull it off her. Every little touch he acquired from her was tantalizing to his body, and he thought of all the sensual delights he would experience tonight, which most people never get to experience with such a beautiful woman. He removed the beautiful gown off her body leaving her in her underwear.

Her small frame, spindly arms and legs quite a contrast to his muscled form, towering over her. He removed his shirt as Katrina lay in her negligee, feeling a little too naked for comfort. She touched her pure while negligee, and it was almost as if she were naked. She didn't know how to be, be naked around him, she thought to herself as he threw his shirt on the chair beside the bed. His chest was bulging with the array of muscles he possessed, she noticed as he undressed. He pulled his trousers off, and was left in his underwear, joining Katrina in her uncomfortable situation. He was quite as ease though and she tried to rid herself of her fears. It was easy now, she thought, she was beginning to feel more comfortable. He was a gorgeous man, with his lean legs and muscled torso and that face, his mesmerizing eyes and handsome late-shave look. He kissed her deeply and ran his hands over her abdomen and moved up to her chest. It was supple, and felt like the softest of cloth, maybe an exquisite eastern silk.

He removed her negligee and exposed her breasts, which looked silver in the moonlight. His hands ran over them and felt the softness in his hands, something he had craved for centuries. She liked his hands stroking her; she lusted his every touch and wished he wouldn't stop. And he didn't stop; he kissed her face, then her neckline and then her alluring breasts. He couldn't resist, she was enticing him, her breasts tempting to his eyes, greedy for every touch. He pulled her panties off, leaving her completely naked before his gaze. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on, he thought, and he was a lucky man because his one desire was waiting for him, naked, and she was craving him. He too undressed fully and was before her, as her husband, the man who would satisfy her, at least tonight he would. His body was shining in the moonlight, every dip and rise in his torso, his chiseled legs and between his smooth thighs.

He placed himself between her long and smooth sienna legs and held her, kissing her. He came closer, and closer and remembered to be gentle as he slowly moved into her. He was slow, and she clenched herself in pain, a pain she had never experienced before. She gasped loudly as he began to enter her. I hope I don't die, Katrina prayed in her head, as her hips came closer and closer to his by the moment. It seemed to be screening on her face too, and he noticed her rigid hold on him and her faint, tedious cries. He stopped for a moment, but this seemed to make it worse, because she gasped loudly and clenched him harder. So he pushed with reduced intensity, and her cries were more subdued. It was a strange pain, a dull pain but she craved it. He moved further into her, and the further he went, the louder she gasped and the tighter she held him. It took him a while to be completely within her because even between those firm thighs he was a very big man, but she was a small woman, even between her supple thighs. He began to rhythmically thrust and withdraw himself from her, and he made love to her. The pain was intense, but so was the pleasure. She lay against the voluptuous cushions, taken by the handsome man she had involuntarily fallen in love with, who was granting her the best feeling she had ever experienced.

It was lasting long, and at times too painful, but he held her in his arms, kissed her fervently and truly made love to her. He was glad, he thought to himself as he made love to his bride with uncontrollable vivacity, that she had changed her mind because this was the best day of his life. It was unbelievable for her too, and was making love to him like there was no tomorrow, with a previously concealed ferocity. She was glad she changed her mind too.

When it was all over, and the culmination of their ecstasy was over, Katrina and Dracula lay in each other's arms, sweating and panting for air. He was still inside her, and she was warm and comforting and very beautiful as her long shiny back hair covered her light brown chest. This eastern beauty was driving him wild and he couldn't believe how good she had been tonight. Katrina had never experienced such a feeling before, and it had been strong and powerful, enveloping her senses as she had writhed, pleasured by the rapturous orgasm brought on by her lover's passionate thrusts. She lay there now, still under him feeling like a woman.

He withdrew from her, making her gasp softly. It was an experience she would never forget, her first time. The groom had been gentle yet pleasurably masculine in his touch. Maybe this night wasn't over yet she thought, as he began to kiss her again after they had rested for a while. She was right, it wasn't. After they had made love for the second time that night, she was exhausted, lying in his embrace.

He kissed her for the last time that night, and tasting her soft lips and her warm mouth, he thought about what he'd been missing out on, not finding love for all these years. They were asleep soon and as silver moon gave way to the god dawn. That night, Katrina dreamed of home, she dreamed of things surpassed, so that when she would wake, she would have momentarily forgotten where she was and how she had gotten there.


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

When that time did come, and the naked bride stirred in Dracula's arms, she thought she was still dreaming.

"Where am I?" she mumbled, "What'd going on here?"

Then she saw what was going on. She pulled the sheet off her body; she was naked, completely naked. She looked at the man sleeping next to her, with his face turned the other way, and when she lifted the sheet a little, she saw he was naked too.

She shrieked and jumped out of the bed, covering herself with the satin sheet. She couldn't, at the moment connect the situation, there she was naked, with a man, also naked, in a room she couldn't recall seeing before and when she looked out of the window, she couldn't recognize the scenery. She was really confused now. She couldn't remember why she was there and she felt a little sick and giddy.

Then it all come flooding back to her as the man moved, got up and looked at her looking at him very shocked. He seemed to be too groggy to understand the situation, but he was confused to see her standing, covered in a bed sheet in the middle of the room. She had married him last night; she had married Dracula. But what had happened after?

"We didn't…." she started, but he cut across her, "are you alright? Why are you standing there?"

"Oh my god, we did! That's why I'm naked!" she looked disbelievingly at him, but the evidence was quite clear.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, because now she was starting to say something about eternal sin and heaven and other things related to that.

She seemed to register his question quite late, "did we do what I think we did last night? Because I cant remember, I really cant…"

"Did you forget?" he smiled and said.

"Forget what…"

He paused, looked at her and said, "Yes, we did. We can, you know, we're married. Isn't that what married people do on their wedding night?" he seemed to be having quite an inward laugh at her shock and confusion.

As she recalled the whole night she said, "I forgot, I had completely forgotten what happened last night."

Dracula got out of the bed, he was still completely naked, and came near her. She moved back a few steps, clutching the sheet to herself and looking anxious. He stopped her from withdrawing and said, "Don't be scared of me, I wont do anything to you," he smiled slyly and said, "Unless you want me to." He took the sheet covering her away and threw it away somewhere on the floor. He brought her close to himself and kissed her, bringing back all the memories of the previous night right back to her. She had a ring on her finger, that ring she fell in love with, the one she wouldn't have been able to imagine even in her dreams.

"What will they think…" she began, as the man who the whole world feared held her and caressed her, his bride. She was right, what wouldn't they think of her if they ever knew? They would never have her back home if she ever needed to go now.

He said, "Why do you care? Isn't this something new, something you want? Forget wagging tongues, they will always wag, don't you want them to wag about something you actually want, something I really want…" he was trying hard to calm her, because she seemed quite distraught at the moment.

"What if this doesn't work, what if we, we don't work?" she voiced her greatest fear at the moment, struggling to speak.

"There is no reason why this, or we won't work. It depends on how you want it, and how I can give you what you want. I will give you whatever you want, even if you want to go right now, I will let you go. I married you, because I love you, I have always loved even if you didn't know it, so if you go, I will still love you."

He put his hand on her cheek and said softly, "You know, it's not that strange, being wanted by someone. I know after what you've been through its hard to trust anyone, but I really want to be with you."

It was a strange feeling, but after last night, she couldn't say that she didn't want to stay. After all, it had been the best night of her life and it had been all because of him. She liked him. He was kind to her. Maybe this would work, she thought, its time she had an adventure too despite the fact that it would be with a vampire. "I don't want to go. I can't go, I cannot leave you." She looked at the man, it seemed like he did love her, and couldn't help being immensely attracted to him. "I can't say I love you, I have only known you for a few days. I want to try to love again, I want it to be you."

"You wont regret it, not for a day."


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

There are times in people's lives where all that they have ever done, achieved or tried to do loses its value. Katrina had just suffered some one of most hopeless blows of her life. Despite being young and gullible, she had been a complete fool. She had trusted a man who done nothing but hurt her and used her. She privately thanked god she hadn't yielded for him, it would have been a waste. Meralaus had been cruel and heartless towards her and treated her like a domestic help. Although she had enough dignity to never do anything for him, she had to suffer because of this. He had no affection for her and he was as cold as a dead fish. It was different for her, to find someone whose whole heart was at her disposal. She liked being wanted.

So here she was, taking a chance and not playing it safe, for once. Playing it safe had landed her in the dumps, so she decided to live life and not be a victim to anyone's freeloading and sadism. She needed reasons to justify her desire to be with Dracula.

She was thinking of these things as Dracula dressed, leaving her lying on the bed and getting ready for another day. She wondered what he did all day, whether he would perhaps love her tonight as he had last night.

"Where do I get clothes from? I didn't get the chance to get any…" she said to the dressing man who stood in from of a ceiling-high mirror and looked at her through it.

"In the closet where you got the black dress yesterday. Open the cabinets behind the first, most of your clothes lie in there."

"Where are you going?" she asked, inwardly hoping he wouldn't go anywhere. He seemed to sense this, and looked at her, waiting for him.

He said, "I wont be long, I want to check up on staff to see if everything seems to be going smoothly. I might take an hour, then I want to take you around the castle and show you the place. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes, I'll be ready. Do I bathe here?" she asked.

"Yes the bath is quite ready for you, there is also a robe inside. If you don't want to walk to your room to get clothes, I could bring them for you. Wait here, I will be a minute," he said and moved towards the doors.

"No, no its okay, I can get them!" she said, taken aback.

"Oh really? And are you going to go naked? Igor is hanging around, I'm sure he would like that…" he jested, smirking at her amused by her fear of affection.

She blushed, covered herself with the sheet and said, "Please can you bring me something to wear?"

"Anything you desire milady." He left the room, snapping the doors shut, only to return a few minutes later.

He said, "I am sorry, you must forgive me for my stupidity, I have really quite forgotten what women might like to wear. If its dreadful, I will get you another dress, its has just been a while since I knew what women wanted."

Katrina looked at the pure white knee length dress, which she liked very much and said, "For someone who hasn't a clue about what a woman wants, you do a good job with your instinct."

He smiled, "It's a talent."

He turned and went to the door and as he was leaving she said, "Come back soon please."

He smiled to himself and said, "Off course, no longer than an hour."

Leaving Katrina to herself, the count made his way to his daily chores.

After it had been a little past an hour, Dracula returned, finding his bride in wait of his return. "Forgive me Katrina, Igor forgot to lock the gates last night, so I had to give him a bit of a threat. Maybe next time he will be wiser."

She didn't like the sound of that. It made her think of all the punishments a vampire could inflict on the perpetrator. She let the thought leave her mind and said, "let us leave then," she paused for a second, blushed and said, "Leonard."

He liked the way she said his name; it was different. He took her arm and guided her out of the chambers, leading out of the corridor. They reached a large hall, the hall she had been in last night, at dinner. The count looked around the room, then at Katrina and said, "I do not like this place, it makes me want to taste food once again. Sometimes, the craving is unbearable, and I eat the food, even though it tastes like nothing."

"Then what can you eat?" asked the fearless woman, even though she knew the answer.

"I cannot eat. I can only drink blood, that I how I survive. I will not live without it."

"D-do you like it, the way it tastes? I really don't like it, its bitter," she said, wishing he would say he didn't like it either.

"Haha, yes, I don't relish the taste of it, but since it is the only thing I can eat, even if I don't enjoy it, I yearn for it. It can make me mad, if I don't get it." Dracula looked at her, and even though he loved her, desired her so deeply, he knew she would always fear him and that no matter how hard he tried, there was little chance that she would completely trust him. He would not blame her for that.

"There is the morning meal, and it is ready for you. Would you like to dine now, I will join you."

While Katrina dined on the generous morning meal, which was a little too much for her minute stomach, the count kept her company. She felt embarrassed eating in front of him and realized how much she pitied him. He knew she felt this way by her averted eyes and the way she rushed through the mean. She was beautiful; the way she ate was delicate. He however seemed to make watching her eat a hobby and liked it.


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9_

"Lets move on, shall we?" she said, steering him out of the hall.

"This is my mother's room, when she was alive at least. " the count swept her inside a large comfortable looking room, "I haven't been in this room for a few years. More than that actually, it's been a few hundred now."

"A few hundred? Why haven't you come here, its in your own house isn't it?" she asked him.

"I haven't thought of her, for a very long time, and I don't like to. If I came here, I would have thought of her, and I cannot afford to, so I don't come anymore." He looked tired, perhaps tired of having to explain himself, and he tried hard to cover his sadness of not being able to confess his longing for a family.

"So why now, don't you think of her now, as we stand here?" she persisted.

"I see her in you. She was beautiful like you, and kind like you. I do not mind revealing my mother to my wife." He handed her a photograph lying near the large bed and she saw the woman smiling up at her. He was quite right; she was a very, very beautiful woman, and young in the photograph. He was also right about how his wife resembled her to an extent, they both had long black hair and dark eyes but his mother was light-skinned whereas his wife was olive-skinned.

The count watched his bride's face, contorted in focus and said, "You seem to be quite interested in that picture."

"She is so beautiful. Now I know why you're so handsome!" she said, with a shy giggle.

"My mother would be proud of me for finding such a striking woman for myself, she always wanted a beautiful wife for me. I guess I got lot more than that." She kissed him gently, his soft lips, like some exotic flower and he looped his arms around her. As they kissed in his mother's room, Dracula thought of memories of his past he had long pushed aside in his mind, which this woman had brought flooding back. It was easy to say things to her, he thought, she didn't judge him. She thought he was like everyone else, and he was, only with a few differences. She seemed to take a genuine interest in what he said and what he felt. He was proud of himself too, to be able to have this woman and know how to make her fall in love with him.

He pulled away from their kiss. "Come, or we'll be stuck doing that forever," he said, smiling as she laughed, "we have a lot more to see."

Katrina noticed the silence that seemed to fall wherever the count went. Wherever they went, sound seemed to disappear and Katrina thought about how uncanny this was. They walked out through a corridor, down a flight of stairs and out of large doors, entering a large garden. The garden was like a backdoor field; it was enormous, and seemed to be well looked after. There were curious stone sculptures with bushed surrounding them everywhere, and vines grew around the walls with a multitude of flowers growing on them.

And as they crossed the large garden, another pair of wide, large doors welcomed them, but there were still no sounds.

"Aren't there any animals here? Don't you have, umm, a pet or a animal companion?" she asked wondering why there seemed to be no life around.

"Off course, there are horses, cattle and other domestic life-forms. There is also, Helix, my companion, he is a wolf. You must meet him; he will take a liking to you. He is much like me, I'm sure he would love a beautiful lady like you."

She didn't like the idea of making friends with Dracula's pet wolf, because just like him, he might not be very tame.

Dracula seemed quite enthusiastic about showing his wolf off and said, "He is here, in his section of the garden. He is free to go at night, but he is a loyal animal, and always comes back to his master."

They entered the gates, and there was another smaller stretch of garden, and in the corner was a very large animal sitting by itself. "Helix is very lonely, I think he may need a lady friend soon."

Katrina thought one wolf was better than two so she said, "not at all, then there would be many, many wolves, and then you'd have a problem."

"Not at all, I would have as many as would stay." He called the animal, and Katrina inwardly choked. "Don't worry, I am his master, and he does what I tell him to do." He seemed to sense her fear of the wild animal offhandedly strolling in his backyard.

The wolf ran towards his master and when he was near enough, cowered on the floor, his tail between his legs and bowed before Dracula. Dracula was impressed with him and said, "See, isn't he quite the obedient one? Why don't you go closer?"

That was something she wouldn't do, no matter what anyone said. Dracula took her by the hand, and as she squeezed her eyes shut, he brought her hands near the wolf's head, and lightly stroked it. She opened her eyes, and the animal was still cowering, before his master but was thoroughly enjoying the attention.

He stopped cowering, and rose, but Katrina continued to stroke him, and the wolf did not harm her. Dracula had been quite right, his companion and him had many traits they shared, like ferocity and gentility.


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

Over the next few days, the count helped Katrina get acquainted with her new home, and even though it was different from anyplace she had lived in, or ever seen before, she grew to like it. Her favorite place was the count's room though, it was large and comfortable and she liked sleeping in his comfortable hold. It was her room too now and she had begun to settle in, trying hard to not cramp her husband's space.

She went to see the wolf the next day, all alone, so when the count found her, he was quite surprised.

"Like him do you?" he asked incredulously.

"Why so surprised?" she asked.

"Because, it's not like he wouldn't attack you. If someone makes a bad impression, he would kill him or her. But it seems he's taken a liking to you, so don't have to worry." He said, stroking the beautiful animal.

"He reminds me of you," she said, "I like him, he is so affectionate."

They left the content animal to himself and toured the rest of the castle for another hour, and still Katrina saw no sign of life.

"Would you like me to show you my favorite place in this castle?" he asked his wife.

"Yes, I would love to see that."

They walked a little more, till they reached a secluded, wildlife-encroached wall and climbed stairs leading to the top. She could see why it was his favorite place; it was calm and isolated. It looked out into the mountains in the distance and the river below them. It was a balcony of sorts and was enclosed in a large collection of shrubbery and large trees. It was like a secluded tree house.

"I love this place." She was in awe of the beauty and simplicity of the terrace. "One day, make love to me here." She was feeling quite brave.

The count was quite shocked at his bride. He smiled at her, wide eyed at her casualness and said, "My, you do hide a dark side behind those innocent eyes. I know now, the thoughts you've been hiding, trying to fool me with that shy face, all the blushing and giggling."

She really did blush this time, and said, "why do you give a girl a hard time for being honest?"

"Its fun giving you a hard time, and its just a shock for me to see a new side of you." He liked this side of her; it was like him, adventurous.

"So do you promise, that one night, you will bring me here and make love to me, here, where you like it the most?" she asked him assertively.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't mind it right here, right now, but there might be servants floating around making a nuisance of themselves." He tried hard to keep his desires from getting to his head, and other places in his body.

She held his hand, pulling him and said, "I know, lets go inside, it's getting windy."

He pulled her back for a moment and whispered in her ear, "Wait. I love you." He put his lips to hers again and kissed her, kissed her the very same kiss, which made her feel like she was sinking into the ground yet flying above it too. She was so light, as he lifted her in his arms; it was like lifting air. He felt her slender back and reached down past to her hips, the willowy hips that were like gentle instruments in his hands. His hands felt like they were penetrating through her wispy cotton dress and he thought of how she may be very cold, and said, "Take my coat, you're cold."

They walked down the stairs, and into the castle and back to where they had begun, taking another route.

"I must check with Igor for a moment, and he must be introduced to you too." Dracula led his bride into a dingy room where there were a couple of lamps shining. There was a man sitting, his head buried in paper and his hair concealing his face.

"Igor," said the count sharply, making the man jump to life and causing his pen to go flying out of his hands and his papers to scatter on the floor. There was a trace of a yelp that escaped his mouth too. The count openly rolled his eyes and scoffed at this careless behavior and Igor, bending to pick up his things murmured a, "very sorry master."

He got up and exposed his face to the couple in front of him. Katrina noticed how ugly this man was and how revolting his clothing was too. He was dressed in clothes of good quality, but they were badly matched and it seemed like he really didn't care about his appearance. He looked at her quite curiously, but stared at her face, then moved down to gape at her body. Katrina rolled her eyes too.

The count was upset, and as Katrina turned to look at the books that caught her eye, he whispered delicately, "Igor, get your eyes off my bride or I'll bore them into your skull!"

"Sorry master, just curious." Igor was a little too curious, she thought.

"I have come to inform you, that this is Katrina, my bride, and she will supervise around here now. Whatever she wants, you give. Whatever she says, you listen. Whatever she commands, you obey. Most importantly Igor, you respect her like you respect me. Remember, she'll tell me, everything." Dracula looked sharply at the ghastly man who had lost all the color in his face out of fear. "I can assure you she isn't quite as cruel as I am." The count laughed at Igor's pitiful condition.

"It was nice to meet you," said Katrina trying to be friendly.

"As am I your highness," said Igor, averting his eyes as the count glared at him.

"That's a good man Igor," said the count and he took his wife away, leaving the shaken man to dwell on his scattered papers and spilled ink.


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

A month had passed now, since they had been married, and luckily things were getting along famously. Katrina had started fitting in quite well, and she was trying very hard to please her husband. He went out of his way to make her happy.

She was beginning to lose her shyness too, and he liked watching her trying to be bolder. Leonard truly liked her, and enjoyed her company. She was funny and not obnoxious and loud. She was a lady, but a very young one. Even though he was over four hundred years old, he didn't look like a corpse. He had been extremely young when he died, and didn't look a day over twenty-five. Even so, her sixteen-year-old self was very young compared to him with a decade's difference between them. It was a new adventure for him, getting to know another person as well as he knew himself, he thought.

As evening came, and the couple enjoyed each other's company, talking for hours under the deep-orange and purple sunset sky.

"I never asked you about your family?" asked Leonard, watching his bride in the candlelight, as the sun dipped lower and twilight emerged, bringing dull silver stars.

She said, "Well, my parents live away from here. I lived with them till I was eleven, then I moved here, to live with the forest people."

It made sense now, why she was different from the rest, and said, "Oh, I see, you are a forest dweller. They have many secrets, and powers over people no one can explain. Why did you come here?"

She said, "As with all girls, when they hit puberty, they have a choice, they can stay with their parents and marry in the next two years, or they can go where they choose to find other adventures for themselves. That was what I wanted to do. I wanted to become a soldier, in the army, or at least an archer because I am a little small for frontal combat." She pointed to her extremely small frame.

"Yes, some large Carpathian brute would definitely crush you, in a million pieces." He was quite right too; they could reach a width of five feet and heights of seven. She was only 5 and a half, and maybe less than a foot in width. Leonard was no Carpathian brute, she thought, but he was built like one. Although he was not a wide man, he was certainly tall, and may have been close to six and a half feet.

"Exactly why I dropped it. I took up scientific study of battle and warfare, so I'm a battle planner. Its not as boring as it sounds," she added looking at her husband in awe and mistaking it for a glazed eye.

"No, no I don't think it's boring, but its what I had always wanted to do when I was young. My father was a battle planner, and I really wanted to be one too. Unfortunately, he threw me out of the house when my mother died and I made a big mistake. You know that mistake, it made me like this."

His face had emotion, but she said, "You can still do it, if you want. I mean, you can do what you want and if you still wanted to learn, I could um, teach you a little."

He smirked wickedly at her, "that would be nice, but I would have a hard time concentrating with you teaching."

"You never stop do you," she said looking at his dancing eyes, "I'll make sure you concentrate, I can be tough when I want to."

She puzzled him a little, but her bipolar antics were a turn on, he thought.

He gave her a sly look and said, "Besides, why would I let a Carpathian brute teach me?"

She shot him a disbelieving look and said smiling, "Me? I'm the Carpathian brute? Who is the one with the muscles here? And who crushes skulls with their hands here?"

"Yes, maybe you're right, I am a brute. But you are one too, you have to admit it."

"Off course, I'm a bigger brute than you'll ever be."

These past days had really been a little too much for him to handle, with so many things happening. The wedding had been magnificent, but he couldn't say that about events before that. He couldn't begin to describe the after-the-wedding show, because it was mind-blowing. The days after had been just as exhilarating, especially in bed. He had made love to women before, but he hadn't experienced a woman like her. She had been the most beautiful one too, that was a part of it.

It was unusual that she was such a brown woman, and he had realized she wasn't from around here the first time he had seen her. Her limbs gave the impression of being branches from a delicate tree. They were long a light brown and had a gold tinge to them; due to the prominent tan she sported. There was a tan, he could tell, because her chest, face and thighs were lighter than her limbs.

"Did you like the ring?" he asked her, as she continued to look at it every few minutes.

"I don't know how you know what I like and what I don't," she said looking at the priceless ring on her finger, "I love butterflies, and I prefer platinum to gold. It's the most beautiful ring I have ever laid eyes on, it must have been too expensive. You shouldn't have given me something so priceless."

"Not give you something priceless? Wouldn't that be a shame? A priceless woman getting a worthless ring is a shame. Actually, the ring was a guess; I liked it so I bought it. There were many others, but none as original as this. I am glad you like it, it is truly your ring." He saw how the delicate ring complimented her delicate frame, her gentle fingers, as they ran through his hair.

She moved her hands to his strong chest and bulging arms; they were like exoskeleton, so firm yet smooth and soft. "How did you become so strong?" she asked with a smile, for the thousandth time. She liked strong men, men who were men.

"Like all people become strong, hours, days, months and years of exercise. I became a little too strong however," he said casually, flexing his muscles for her entertainment.

"Like a Carpathian bru-

"No, not like a Carpathian brute. I'm stronger than them, they're nothing compared to me, I would snap them in two." He liked showing off in front of her, and although what he said was true, she didn't doubt it for a second, her face was aglow in admiration. It had taken her nearly a month to be able to have a normal conversation with him, or to stop calling him "count" and Leonard instead. Indeed she was the only one who called him that.


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12_

Dinner came, and dinner went. Katrina prepared for bed, and a long sleep, Dracula did the same. She hadn't begun to undress when Leonard crept up behind her.

"Remember that day," he said looking out side near the terrace.

"What day?" she asked looking puzzled.

"That day, when you begged me to make love to you, at the balcony." He smiled deviously at her she went a deep shade of plum blush.

She retorted, "I did not beg you. What nonsense, I merely voiced what was going on in your head, what was in your dirty mind." She continued, "Yes, what about that day, when I didn't beg you to make love to me near the balcony."

"So I was thinking…" he began, tenderly caressing the back of her neck.

Her neck tingled as he ran his fingers behind it, causing her to shiver.

"That can't be good can it? I don't like it when you think," she asked.

He drew her close and said, "lets go up there, tonight."

"Hmmm, do you want to? Do you think we'd have privacy there?" she asked.

"There are guards at night, but I have had them removed from there. They will obey. That is only, if you want to go." He looked at her, trying to hide his pleading.

She replied, "Yes, I really do want to go."

He let go of her and began to walk to the bed saying, "Lets go then, I will take a mattress and you take pillows and a coat."

She did as he asked, and they made their way to the old familiar place where Katrina had liked.

"I thought you had forgotten about it by now," she said, glancing at him.

"No I didn't forget. I was waiting for the right kind of night. It's good tonight." he gave her a sly smirk. "Its perfect, there's a full moon too…the better to see you naked in."

She smiled at him and said, "You've planned all this really well haven't you?"

"You have no idea," he added secretively.

Climbing back up the stairs she found, that at night, it was a much more beautiful place. It was moonlit and silent, silent to the point where it was hollow. Yes, the silence, to her was discomfiting for a moment, but she moved the thought out of her mind.

The count placed the mattress on the ground, lay the sheet over and took the pillows from her placing them neatly on the bedding.

"Look at the stars, they shine so brightly tonight," she said, noticing the breathtaking sky. She lay herself down on the bed and pulled her husband near her. "Your eyes, they remind me of such a sky. Like a cluster of stars, they are."

"Such opposites we are, aren't we? Yours are like the night the stars are in, so dark like charcoal. I have never known eyes so dark, yet so warm, like a strange comfort." He could look into those eyes forever.

"I am beginning to love you," she said softly to Dracula, "how do you charm me so easily?"

"You've always loved me, and so have I. We just hadn't found each other." He kissed her, her peach-colored lips and her smooth cheeks.

He smiled to himself, thinking of how good tonight would be, just like every other night.

She noticed that familiar wicked grin and said, "Do I want to know why you're smiling?" and she gave him a suspicious look.

He said, "Oh nothing," he grabbed her and kissed her and said, "just thinking of all the nasty things I'm about to do to you."

"Go right ahead," she said amused, returning his kiss.

He slipped her dress off and it fell off her like a veil, revealing her delicate form to him once more. This was the best part, he thought to himself, because she was so vulnerable to touch when she was naked. It was like he could feel every shiver in her when his fingers ran from her forehead to her chin. His hand reached down her neck, and into the rise and hollows of her chest. Okay, he was taking too long reaching down her chest, he thought. Maybe it is because he is a man, but he could never get his eyes off her petite and delicate breasts. Nor could he keep his hands off them because the smooth skin was soothing to his hands as they delineated them. He tasted her lips, her neck and her captivating breasts. Her skin was soft on his lips and her convex contours so enticing to his mouth.

Katrina's soft sighs were loud in the deathly silence that filled the night, and she tried to be more subdued.

Dracula noticed her discomfort and said, "Don't worry, no one is around. They better not be." He continued to caress his naked bride, and began to undress himself.

"Darling don't stop," she whispered into his ears bringing his hands onto her again, but still fearing there may be someone close, perhaps watching them. She knew there wouldn't be, fear of Dracula kept everyone away.

Dracula pulled off his white shirt, leaving himself bare-chested.

She said with a naughty smirk, "well, I hope you aren't stopping there."

"Well, I'm not the only one who needs to have fun tonight. Can't resist me can you?" he said, beginning to remove his trousers.

"Hard to," she said.

The naked Dracula was a sight to see, thought Katrina, like an ideal sculpture, chiseled to perfection. His muscles knotted in his abdomen and seemed trapped behind his taut skin, almost fighting to break free from it. He was like an animal, pure strength and unavoidable magnetism.

She let him onto her, holding those broad shoulders and being delicately handled by his large hands. His skin felt good on hers, and she breathed in his captivating scent, running her fingers through his soft hair. As hard as he tried though, his form was colossal compared to hers, and lovemaking was painful for her. Especially initially, when he tried his hardest to be gentle, and penetrated her fragility she couldn't help but whimper in pain.

"Are you okay, my love? I didn't realize I was being so harsh." Her face was flushed, a little bit to do with the pain and more to do with the utter pleasure of it.

"No, I am okay. Just painful in the beginning," she said hoping he wouldn't stop even though the pain was unbearable sometimes.

His bride seemed to be in agony beneath him. He said, "I think this is getting a bit painful, let's stop –"

"No, no don't stop."

He was still skeptical though, "are you sure darling?" he asked.

She squirmed under him, but said, "Yes love, don't worry I'll be fine."

Men don't understand, thought Katrina, and even though he was inadvertently rough on her, it was the way she wanted it. It was the utter ecstasy of his touch she desired, and there was no need for him to soften it.

She was an erotic sight, thought Dracula, as he loved his bride. The way her light brown breasts moved to the rhythm of his lovemaking and her delicate ribs showed through her skin, that gold-hued skin. She enfolded her arms around his neck, and his cheeks fuzzy from a late shave grazed against her soft cheeks. Her imperfections and perfections together were a sensual delight; the sweat on her face had caused her kohl to smudge into a dark stroke under her dark eyes and her cheeks were blotchy with a blush. The sweat was making it worse, and the dark line under her eyes was smudging further, and her lips were swollen after vigorous kissing, driving him crazy. The moonlight on her skin made her look like a ghost, giving it that bluish tinge and her long black hair added to that likeness. But she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen

Her legs, wrapped around his and her feet resting on his calves made him feel like he was sinking into her, falling into her forever. Her flowing long black hair was shining in the moonlight and her soft lips were pressing against his neck, pushing him over the limit. As the moon rose higher and the night became darker their pleasures grew more intense. He was trying his hardest to be gentle with her, as he did every night, but after a while, neither cared. It was getting better every moment, with every touch. He was a wonderful lover, she thought, he knew just when to be soft and exactly when to take her like a real man would. Right now, he was doing exactly that, but it was no effort from his side, it was all worth it for him.

Even when it was over, and they lay on the mattress, facing the stars and a slightly higher moon, they hadn't had enough. The night wasn't over yet, in fact, it was quite early into it.

"When they say love makes sparks fly, I know what they mean now," said Katrina, in Dracula's arms. He ran his fingers over her sweaty abdomen and her naked thighs. They were still breathless, tired from their vigorous lovemaking.

He smirked at his winded lover and said, "Did I really tire you out?"

"Yes, I'm exhausted," she said, looking at her husband, who didn't look tired at all. "You don't look too tired." She stroked his abdomen.

"I could go on, for a long, long time," he said, giving her a sly smile. "But you, you look a little too tired."

"Looks can be deceiving," she said, and it was true, she couldn't get enough of him. "Come here."

Maybe she wasn't tired yet, he thought, as made love to her under the stars yet again.


	14. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13_

"We should go inside you know, I think its quite cold," he said watching the beads of sweat start to vanish from her body.

"You can't feel it can you?" she asked "the cold." It was not cold; it was merely a strong breeze. She drew away from his slightly and her expression froze over a little.

"No. I cannot. I cannot feel anything around me." He looked sorrowfully at the swaying trees, wishing he could feel.

She said softly, "Then how can you feel love? How could you have felt pleasure tonight, or last night? Am I the only one feeling, feeling love here?" she thought of how he may not have felt anything for her at all, physically or emotionally.

He said evasively, "I don't know, but I do." He realized what she was thinking and was upset by her lack of faith in his love, but he did understand why she would think like that.

"But, how?" she said, "I mean, if you cant feel anything else, then how can you feel, us?"

"You wont understand," he said gently, "its complicated."

She loved this man, and she felt like he did too, but how could she have never asked him this? She thought to herself, all the times it seemed like he could feel love, but how could he? Wasn't he a vampire? Vampires were dead, and they could not feel anything.

She looked offended and said, "I want to understand. I need to."

He gave her an exasperated look and said, "I cannot feel anything around me. I cannot feel the Cold, warmth, breeze or anything else. I cannot eat and drink what people do. I must survive on the blood of another's, like a parasite." He looked disgusted with himself and turned away from her. "I cannot die. It is my curse, and it is my burden to bear."

He continued on, "Some time ago, I was offered a chance to redeem my one wish. My one wish was to feel, and the first thing to feel was love, to actually love someone with all my heart. It was what I always wanted. Even if I could never be the same, I could try. I could try and find love. I cannot feel anything, except for that one person. I chose you, not only for your beauty. I watched you for two years and decided it would have to be you. It was my way of finding love, and I did. I have been searching for three hundred years for the one I love and I found you. So yes, I can feel love, but only for you. Something happened last night, when we married, I have begun feel things once more. I felt everything you felt last night, and tonight."

"But you told me you cannot feel anything, anything at all," she said, looking at him disbelievingly.

He began, "Well, that's like a half truth-

She cut across, "More like a half lie-

"Well, either way, here is the truth. Its true, I can't feel anything around me like the breeze. I can feel someone touch me, but I cannot feel pain," he paused for a moment and continued, "physically. When I was offered to be able to feel once more, it was only emotionally, not physically. That didn't work though, because I wanted more, and I was granted my wishes. So I can feel things emotionally, but I can feel some things physically. So yes, since I can have emotional experiences, I can love you, and I do. I can feel our love making, and I can experience you and yes this is the truth," he added giving her a glance.

"Why couldn't you have said this earlier?" she asked distraught.

"I thought you wouldn't understand. I wanted to tell you long before this, but it's hard." He looked a little hesitant to continue now.

She kissed him, for a long time and he said, "Forgive me my wife, I will be more honest from now on."

"No, it's my fault. I rushed you. Tell me whatever you wish to, I will not hold it against you." She was very guilty for digging his past up, even though she wouldn't doubt his love now. It was stupid to fall in love with someone so easily, she thought, but she couldn't help it. She loved him and it was becoming worse every moment. If it was being stupid to fall in love like this, it was okay with her; she would be stupid but happy.

"I will tell you everything," he said, "but now is not the time. Sleep. Let us go back."

"Hmmm, is that why you don't sweat," she said with a smile at his naked torso.

"I do sweat," he said defensively.

"I don't think so," she said, stroking his abdomen.

He said, "You're right, that's your sweat on me, not mine." He put his hands up in a defeated manner.

She began to say, "Sorry-

He cut across her, kissed her and said, "it feels good. Really, really, good."

She got up, beginning to put on her clothes but he stopped her. He covered her in his coat and cloak so that she wouldn't be cold. It was warm in there, and it smelled like him, of that that mysterious musk. He wore his pants, bare-chested, preparing to pick up the bedding and she watched his muscles rippling as he did so. He carried it back to the room, his bride by his side. She held his hand and they returned to their chambers.

"You tired?" he asked, getting into bed with Katrina.

"Yes, really tired. We had a hard two days didn't we?" she said. "Its getting cold now, I hope there isn't going to be a storm tomorrow."

"I hope there is a storm. No work for me. Then we could stay in bed all day hmm?"

"Yes, I hope it's really cold tomorrow, and its rainy and windy too."

"Okay, okay, go to sleep." He said, wrapping his arms around her, keeping her warm.

Katrina fell asleep in his arms, his protecting arms.

And when he had fallen asleep, something he hadn't done properly in many centuries, Katrina leaned over his handsome face and whispered in his ear, "I love you darling."

Even though he was asleep, he heard her words and something slipped in his heart. No one had said that to him for many, many years since his family had passed. She had meant it too; he could feel it in her feverous whisper and her racing heart, which was thudding in his ears. He didn't want to make it seem like he had been awake, so he couldn't say anything back to her. When he opened his eyes, her eyes were closed and her hand was on his chest.

Then suddenly, something strange began to happen to him and he didn't know what to do. There was a burning in his body, like a hot rod moving through his veins. There was a burning sensation in all his limbs and it was gradually moving towards his chest, and he could almost feel it move inside. He was right, in a few minutes; the sensation was in his heart and had vanished from everywhere else. His heart began to squirm inside, it began to beat, softly and slowly, perhaps once every minute, but it had begun to beat. He waited for a long, long time, and it was beating close to once every minute. The pain was gone now, completely gone, but the beat remained. He could hardly believe it. He hadn't felt this, for many, many long years. He had forgotten how it was to something pumping inside his body. Quite soon, after a few minutes however, the beat died down, and became softer by the minute till it was completely gone. He was not at all distraught. Even though it had stopped, Dracula knew it would be back.

His heart hadn't beat since he had died, and four words from the woman he loved had brought it back to life in an instant. He knew he would still be the same, and he was still dead, but at least he would be alive when he was with her. It was love.


	15. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14_

Katrina woke up groggily next morning quite early, only to find her husband, wide-awake in bed and staring at the wall. She had to rub her eyes multiple times to get a clearer image. She had seen quite right, he was very wide-awake and he was upright, sitting in a daze. It took him a few seconds to notice she was awake too.

He smiled at her, his face breaking its frozen state, and said, "Awake so early my darling?"

She looked at him incredulously and said, "I should be asking you that."

He looked a little discomfited and said, "Me? Oh nothing, I am just, Not sleepy."

She gave him a soft look, sat up and came closer to him. She said, "You can't fool me that easily love. Tell me what's wrong?"

He was back in his daze again and said, "Wrong? Hmm, nothing is wrong, technically."

"Tell me, you promised you would tell me," she said, trying to get him to reveal what was really bothering him.

He seemed to hear her and said, "Well, something strange happened last night…something, something I can't explain properly to you." He paused for a while, but she seemed to be patient and was sitting by his side, at some unearthly hour in the morning and listening to him.

"Remember last night, when you said, you said something to me." He hesitated, not knowing whether it was meant for him to hear or not.

She caught on and said, "Oh, yes, I said I loved you when you were sleeping."

"Yes, I heard you. I wasn't sleeping, but I heard you. Then something strange happened and I began to have this weird feeling all over my body."

"Weird feeling? Like what?"

"Like a mild burning sensation. And it continued for a while, all over my limbs, till it moved to my heart. I could feel something burning in my heart-

"Are you sure you aren't sick love? I could call for the doctor from the village-

"I don't get sick, vampires just don't. So then, listen now. Then the pain wasn't getting better and I was beginning to get worried, but something even stranger happened."

"What? What?" she asked trying to rush him; he was really taking advantage of her patience now.

"I'm telling you, don't worry," he said, smiling at the girl, sitting on edge and waiting for him to finish his story. He continued, "then, after a few minutes…you wont believe me, I'm telling you, its true though…my heart, it began to beat."

She was overawed, and couldn't say anything for a few seconds. Then she said, "Beat?"

"Beat." He said with finality.

Just to confirm she was hearing it correctly she said, "are you sure it did? Did you feel it with your palm?"

"Yes, yes, many times over. It stopped though, after a few minutes but I think it may be back soon."

She was still astounded and said, "I can't believe it. This is wonderful."

He smiled at her and said, "I hope it comes back."

She hugged him and said, "I know it will be back."

She looked out of the window, and it was still dark, very, very dark. She knew it was morning, but it was really a very odd hour to be awake. She wasn't tired anymore and neither was he, sitting upright still, wallowing in his thoughts.

"You don't want to sleep-

"Did you mean it?" he asked her with a confused expression on his face.

"Mean what?" she looked even more confused than he did now.

"Last night, when you said you loved me?"

She smiled warmly at him and said, "Yes. I do love you, a little too much for my own good."

He looked relieved and continued on, "I thought it would take a lot longer for you to love me."

She nodded her head sideways in disagreement and said, "No, it is quite easy to fall in love with you. Do you know what is hard? It is hard not to love you."

"Quite the charmer aren't I?" he said, looking pleased with him.

She stroked his hair and said, "Off course you are. Its like shackles on me, when I cant show you I love you."

"Why cant you show me you love me?" he asked looking puzzled.

"Well, sometimes, when we are in public. I have this fantasy, that everybody would just vanish, and we would make love right there and then."

He looked very amused and said, "maybe we could just escape, and go someplace else then. You know I always want you. Always. So just whisper in my ear and we'll be off."

She grinned shyly and said, "Now that's what I call a good proposition."

He gave her a scanning look, then smiled at her and said, "I had no idea you wanted me so badly."

"Sometimes, its painful, how badly I want you."

He hugged her, breathing in her skin and said, "Thank you."

She kissed him softly, looking into his icy blue eyes and said, "I love you."

She could swear she felt it. She felt it, as she kissed him, her hands trailed his chest and she could feel light jolts beneath his skin. She looked shocked and whispered, "I can feel it too…"

He said with pride, "see, its there again. It feels really good."

She looked at him again and saw something she hadn't seen before. Here was the man she had actually married, something that hadn't really sunk into her till this moment. She knew something had been lacking ever since they had married. They had married, but it was more like an incomplete marriage. She knew that when two people wed, they were there for each other, physically and emotionally. They had been there for each other physically and he had really been her emotional foundation through all this, but she really hadn't had a part to play in his emotional being. This was a real change in their relationship. She liked getting to know him and being a part of his life.

"I like being with you. I like you, you know?" she said lovingly.

"You're beautiful to me. You make me want to be something else…" he said, softly to her closed eyes.

"Don't change darling, I love you for who you are, no matter who you are."

She was beginning to become groggy again, so he brought her close to himself and laid her down comfortably next to him.

"Go back to sleep, its too early for you," he said, kissing her on the cheek and lying down next to her.

"Mmm, goodnight," she said vaguely and was asleep soon after.

He wouldn't sleep though, even though it was quite late in the night or early in the morning. He was awake for hours, thinking to himself, recollecting his thoughts. He watched the sun rise and saw the night become day. He was not tired. He watched his wife wake up after a few more hours, and still, he could not sleep again.


	16. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15_

The count was a good husband, and Katrina tried to the best wife she could be to him. They slowly got used to each other, and began to understand each other at a deeper level. Katrina was happy about this because she started getting her life together again and she had found love again. It had been a long time now. She had been with Leonard for nearly a year now, but things were going smoothly.

Meanwhile, in her hometown, people had finally begun to panic, discovering that she had vanished for good. There were two eyewitnesses to the scene of her being taken away by Dracula, and they told the authorities of the incident.

A somber looking official concluded to her acquaintances, "Well, now that we know that she was snatched by Dracula, that ruthless creature; there is no hope for her. She has left this world. We can only pray that her passing was peaceful."

Another official said, "Yes, there is no hope for Dracula's victims. They never return."

"Shouldn't we at least have a search team, to see if these witnesses are telling the truth?" asked a troubled friend of hers.

"No, no, why would they lie? A search is pointless now. You must accept that she has passed away at the hands of a merciless killer. If we try and do something, he may come after us too." The administrators were too lazy to look for some doomed soul.

As Katrina's acquaintances left, they were distraught by her disappearance, but even more troubled by the lack of assistance the authorities were providing.

"The girl is dead. She's dead. That bloodthirsty wretch took her away. They saw him didn't they?" said a fat official, sitting with a glass in his hand and sloshing liquid down himself.

"There's no way she's alive, I tell you, she's in the lion's den," said another, also large and sitting with a sloshing glass tottering dangerously on his table.

"These people aren't going to buy that, they're going to want to look for her and they're going to accuse us of not trying to find her. The reason I don't want to look for her is because all we'll find is a body. Plus, the money gone waste in that hopeless quest could be used to make our lives better eh?" said a third officer, and he held a senior post.

"Let's find more witnesses to say she was taken away by him eh?" suggested the first fat official sitting comfortably with his glass.

Back at home, Katrina wondered about whether her friends had even realized she was gone. Meralaus would be throwing parties, celebrating her disappearance she thought bitterly. Maybe a few of his lady friends would comfort him too? Maybe many of them would do that, wouldn't they? She felt sorry for those women, being thwarted by him at this very moment. She was one of them too, but at least she had gotten away in time. He had really made a fool of her. She didn't think of him much anymore, but whenever she did, she only thought of revenge.

"I will kill him," she said to Dracula when they spoke of him.

He laughed a hearty laugh and said, "Words are no good my darling, its actions that count. You can keep wishing, but it will never happen. No, I don't think he misses you to the slightest extent, except off course when he desperately needs his laundry done. But," he paused, stroking her shiny black hair sliding over her shoulders, and continued, "I would miss you to death, if you were ever to leave."

"At least I'd die if you ever left me, and it would all be over," she said smiling, "what would you do?"

"That's why I'd suffer more, because I wouldn't be able to die. I would try as hard as I could though, if you ever went."

"Don't you ever do that," she said sternly, "go out and enjoy life. Find someone new to love, you would deserve it."

"I wouldn't be able to," he said, stroking her hair which fell over her back, "hey, where did you go yesterday?" he was questioning her on where she had vanished yesterday, when he had to go and look for her. She in fact had been looking for him and Igor had told her he was in the dungeons, but she accidentally found the wrong dungeon. She explained this to him, but he wanted to know where she had landed up.

"What is in that room, the one near the dungeons?" she asked. "It looked like a very, very old library."

"That's what it is." He went quiet for a while, thinking to himself and then he said, "Don't go there without me okay?" Katrina looked puzzled at his words, but before she could say anything he cut in, "There's nothing really to be afraid of, and I just don't want you to be anywhere where I wouldn't go." He didn't want to tell her exactly what was so strange about that place, and although it was quite safe for him, he was not sure about her. The last thing he wanted was for something to happen to her, and him not being able to defend her.

"Take me there, one day, some day soon. I want to see those books. They seem, different, and strangely, mysterious."

"They are, and yes, we should go there one day. Make sure you don't go alone okay?" he looked at her imploringly, because he knew she liked adventure and she might just march in there all alone and disobey him.

"Don't worry love, I won't go there. I want to see what you're hiding from me," she said, giving him a naughty smile.

"There's no point hiding anything from you. You have a way with getting me to tell you everything, and then I regret it." He recalled the time he told her about his childhood diary he kept as a teenager, which he had hidden in his cupboards. He remembered the way her face had lit up when she heard this, and how she had bombarded him with questions about it. He had promptly walked in on her a few hours later, sitting in a corner behind the curtains trying to hide from him, reading the diary and having a good laugh. She had to be chased around the room twice before he could corner her and snatch it back and hide it a new place, where she wouldn't be able to find it.

"Hmmm, I can't wait to find another diary. Maybe there's a stack of them in that secret library hmm?" she had taken to quoting the diary whenever he embarrassed her.

He looked outside and saw it was quite sunny and said, "It's still early in the afternoon, do you want to go there now?"

"That sounds good," she replied, looking excited.

He gave her a reproving look and said, "Don't look too happy, there's nothing about me in there.

"You don't need to worry about that, I'll find something or the other," she said aloofly.


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16_

They walked down into the dungeons, and it became darker with every step they took. It was becoming colder too, and Katrina could see her breath rising in front of her like a vapor. She was beginning to feel scared, just a little, but it was beginning to worry her, how deep they were going.

She said, in a shaky voice, "How far is this place? It wasn't so far when I came last time."

He replied, "Yes, we took a longer route, because we cannot go the other way. There are constructions going on the other side."

He was right, and as Katrina strained her ears, she could here a regular thudding.

He looked at her and said, "Isn't the thumping eerie?"

She looked really scared now and replied, "I just hope its construction, and not the dead rolling in their graves."

He chuckled and held her close saying, "The silliest things scare you, you know?"

"Just stay really close and I'll be fine okay?" she said, looking at him.

"The last thing you should be scared of is dead people. You married one didn't you?" he asked her smiling.

She gave him an annoyed look and said, "Not funny at all. Besides, you're not rotting and, I don't now, dead."

He was amused and said, "Yes, well you've got a point there." He paused, opened a door and let her inside and then closed it behind himself saying, "Good, we're here."

She said, "Oh, yes I came through the door at the other end. I remember now."

He looked a little more serious now and said, "Okay, here are the rules, don't go too far away, and don't touch anything suspicious. Ask me to show you something you want to see okay?"

"Yes," she said, looking around interestedly.

There many things she wanted to see, she realized, as she walked along the dark aisles, tottering with rickety old books. There was a curious specimen lying hidden behind a rather cramped aisle and it caught her eye. She moved the books aside, and pulled it out. It was large and had a strange dark red stain on the back of it.

"What's that now," he said innocently trying to snatch the book from her.

"Hmmm, this is definitely going to be interesting," she said, outsmarting him and taking the book with one swift motion.

Well, it wasn't that interesting, she saw as she opened it and he heaved a sigh of relief. She hadn't enough though, and she began a thorough plough of the library, as he sat pouring through an old book. It was worth the trip, she thought, and she would definitely come back here. She had loved books since she was a child and could never get enough to read. She gathered a heavy stack of books to take back with her as she finished looking. Leonard was sitting with the same old book and was still engrossed in it.

"What is that," asked Katrina, looking at the tattered book.

He looked up at her and said, "I can't believe this, and this is really strange," he paused while she looked puzzled, and continued, "this is my mother's diary. It is very old, as you can tell. She wrote this when she was a young woman, older than you though, and she had celebrated her son's 18th birthday. She would die soon. It was hidden, in a book I had just pulled out. I think she meant for me to find it though, because she has written many things to me in it."

"That is wonderful," she said, "finding relics of a bygone time, and actually being able to connect with her in some way.

He looked content, and said, "She wrote something for you in here. I think you should read it."

"For me?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"Well, she wrote it for my wife,"

"Let me see," she said.

It said, "To my darling daughter, I am sorry I have not been able to meet you and even more, I am sorry that I have not had the chance to love you. I hope my baby boy can also love you on my behalf. Don't worry yourself, he is a strange boy, but there is no other like him. Take care of him from my side because his mother can't do that for him. Remember, things may seem too much to take sometimes, but love can get you through it all. I taught him all I knew, and I hope he is a good husband to you."

Katrina read the letter a few times over and looked a little overwhelmed.

"She taught me everything I know," he said, "she taught me how to love you."

"She did a good job," she said, hugging him.

He kissed her, softly yet with a burning passion. Then he drew away and she said, "I fall short of what your mother wanted for you though. She wishes I would look after you, but in fact, it is you who take care of me."

He wrinkled his brow and said, "You have no idea what you do for me Katrina. You make me want to be something else, but you make me want to stay the same too because you loved me for who I am. There is only one other person who loved me, no matter what and that was my mother. So, you take care of me better than anyone else can."

"You know I'll always try," she said lovingly.

He looked at the heap of books lying on the table and said, "Are we planning an in-room library, or are you actually going to read all of those?"

"Better believe it," she said.

"Let us go then," he said, carefully carrying the stack of books, but handing the diary to Katrina, who kept it with herself securely.


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17_

Over the next few months Leonard and Katrina made several trips to the library and indeed, she had opened his eyes to long lost memories. He began to read feverishly, like her and they were engrossed in the past and the sacred library. He was still skeptical about leaving her on her own in the library, not because he had anything to hide from her, but he knew that secluded places weren't the best for a woman like Katrina.

He did come to the conclusion; with her persuasions that the library was a safe enough place for her to be alone. There was a compromise though, that he would still walk her down here and pick her up when she wanted to go. She was frustrated by this glitch, but she had to accept it because Leonard put his foot down and said it was absolutely necessary.

But there was something strange about that place and she couldn't deny it, it was like something or someone was always watching her. She shook the feeling out of herself, but it never really went away. She had visited it a couple of times now, and yet, whenever she was alone, there was a fleeting shadow of sorts in the corner of her eyes, always escaping just in time.

Leonard, being quite aware of the possibilities, which may have lived in the library for many years, had no solid proof of it. Katrina decided it was best not to stress her concerns too much, because it may cost her visits.

So here she was again, sitting alone on the soft futon, and reading an engrossing historical document. But there it was again, that feeling, in her skin. She felt like the books were watching her. Books don't have eyes, thought Katrina, reprimanding herself for thinking silly thoughts. But she could swear, there was something, in them, maybe between them, whose gaze was upon her right this minute. What was she thinking? It was nothing, nothing at all. She had nothing to worry about in this place. It was too far for anyone to get to anyway. But, how could anyone be here? When she had come in, with Leonard, they hadn't heard or seen anything at all. Hadn't they come here many times previously? There had been nothing to worry about and she was being silly -

THUD! She looked up sharply and there was short intake of breath. She put the tattered book on the cushion and got up. She sighed in relief; it had only been a book, which had fallen from a shelf. "Relax," she said aloud, "it's only a book, nothing else." So she walked over to the aisle, and saw the culprit, and she was right, it was a book. It was lying on the floor, innocently, and it seemed like a rat may have tipped it over.

She bent over and picked it up. It was smooth, lined with a velvet cover and looked newer than most around her. It was in good condition. She opened _Love And Madnesse_ and saw it was an ordinary romance novel as she flipped through its crisp pages. It looked like it was a soppy love story and she wasn't really interested. Her fear had passed now and she was still passing through the pages of the book.

Then it caught her eye, it was scrawled untidily in the corner of the last page. She dropped the book with a louder "THUD" than the first one and retreated slowly back to the couch. It said, "Now, you're alone and I'm coming to get you…"

She couldn't think. It was all a really good coincidence right? How could it be though? It looked like it was meant for her didn't it? Maybe she should just go this second and not come back. But from what, she though, there was no proof that anything was going to happen to her. All she had to do was walk to the door, very fast, open it and run back to Leonard. So that's what she began to do, and she turned around to walk to the door.

"THUD" and there was another loud noise just like the first one. She stopped dead in her tracks. Something wasn't right. She turned around and it was the very same book, lying on the floor. "Oh god," she said aloud, and was rooted on the spot. Was she seeing all right? Was it the very same book? Yes off course it was, but it could have happened if she hadn't kept it back properly. But she had, hadn't she? Then why was it on the floor again?

Then there was something strange happening to the aisle in front of her. The book had fallen on the floor, leaving a gap in the shelf where Katrina had previously deposited it. now, there was an invisible force shaking that very aisle, making it quiver as if due to an earthquake. The wood began to fall off, like liquid and the books were vanishing quickly. The whole aisle was melting away, and there was a door forming there instead. The books were vanishing and the wood was reshaping into tall, oak-finished doors. Katrina stood there, in shock, stunned.

Then the handle began to rattle, softly but surely. Katrina was clutching the door closest to her, but the one in front of her was beginning to open. It creaked open slowly, and it seemed like there wasn't anyone opening it. She was still entrenched to the spot. But then it swung open and someone stepped out from behind its depths. She couldn't see a face, but it was a man. He looked tall in the darkness, and began to walk towards her.

"W-wh-who are you," she stammered, "s-show yourself."

He didn't reply, and all he did was move closer and closer to her. He was walking slowly towards her, hands slapped tightly to his sides. Then the light fell on his face, and she saw him. He gasped loudly. It was a young man, not much older than her and he looked slightly sick. He had a thatch of dark hair but very pale skin and dark eyes. He looked sick because of the darkness under his eyes and his pale-as-death skin. Katrina was shivering in a corner and he was walking up to her now. He was close, maybe a couple of steps away. Now he was a step away…

"Hello," he said softly, a shadowy sneer forming on his waxy face.

She didn't say anything, she was still clutching the handle of the door and she couldn't think. What should she do? Should she reply? What would he do?

"Who are you," she asked timidly.

"I am Nigael," he said quietly.

Katrina had never heard of such a person living in the castle or anyone who visited by the name of Nigael.

"I don't know you," she said, "why are you here?"

"Maybe you should ask your dear husband who I am," he said in a silent tone, "I don't think he would remember me though," he said, leering at her.

"Then, maybe I should call him," she said quickly, "You say he knows you, yes?"

As Nigael leered deeply, he said, "Oh, yes he knows me I am sure of that. But, why should he remember me? I mean, who am I? Just one of his pitiful victims isn't it?"

She looked petrified but she tried to calm him, "I don't really know what you're talking about. Where did you come from? Who are you and where do you live?"

"Shh," he said quietly to her, "so many questions. Well, I live here, in this library for many years now." He sneered again and stepped a little closer to her and said, "but what you didn't ask me is how I died?"

"Y-you're dead?" she said unnerved.

"Aren't _victims _supposed to be dead usually?" he said sarcastically, "Well, in any case, all of Dracula's victims do end up dead."

"But, you're walking aren't you?" she asked.

"Well, I am not a vampire, if that is what you're thinking. Vampires are despicable, pitiful creatures who ruin lives to sustain their own," he said snickering, "I am, for lack of a better word, a ghost."

Katrina let go of the handle, but not her fear. She was alone in this library with no one to save her from this ghost.

"Please leave me alone," she said, trying to be calm, "I want to go back to my husband now. He will wonder."

"Yes, he will wonder," said Nigael, his voice as silvery as his skin, "I'm sure he'll wonder where you are, especially when he needs you isn't it? At night, I think he must really miss you, no one to fulfill his filthy desires –

"I want to go now," said Katrina, her voice shaking now, "Nice to meet you -

"But that is only, if I let you go isn't it?" he said, sneering blatantly now.

"Oh god," she whispered, her voice wrenched with panic, "what do you want from me? I cannot do anything for you. I have to go, I can't stay here any longer."

"But what about me?" he said, positively amused now, "why is it always about you for you people? What about my revenge, the misery Leonard deserves?"

She looked abashed and said, "What do you mean, revenge -

Nigael looked wild and said, "oh, Leonard must suffer now, he did kill me. So I must find a way to ruin him."

Katrina opened her mouth to say something, but Nigael stepped very close to her and looked her in the eye.

"Maybe," he said breaking the deathly silence between them, "You could help me, and then, I wouldn't bother you anymore right?"

"How dare you," she said, her voice shaking with anger now, "I would never!"

"Oh, that was a big mistake," he said, smiling into her stricken face.

She didn't say anything.

"Are you scared Katrina Molkaviqch?" he asked softly, looking into her eyes and boring them with his cold tunnels, "Because, you really should be."

And before she could gasp in fear, he had grabbed her, entangled her hair roughly in his hands and pulled her perilously close to himself.

"What would Leonard say, I wonder, if I were to perhaps, ruin his woman instead?" he crooned into her ear, brutally wrenching her hair.

"D-d-don't –

"And why not?" he said tenderly, "Is it because you love him so much?" he jerked her close again and said, "I don't care about him at all –

"J-just let me g-go okay? I can't do anything -

"Off course you can, I haven't been with a woman in years now, and you look just right." His cold features now had a hungry look etched on them.

He lunged at her and thrust her against the wall roughly. He began squashing himself against her. She uttered a strangled cry and he pressed his cold lips against hers. She was gasping for air as he pressed her against the wall harder and continued to squash her face with his. She yanked his hands off herself, but he plunged her neck viciously against the wall and began to strangle her. His hand was clasped firmly against her neck and his thigh was pushing in between hers.

She pushed him hard and he was momentarily shaken, but he advanced on her again, looking livid. She gave one soul-shattering scream and tried to escape his grasp, but he had her locked between his arms again. But that wasn't all she was locked in. Her legs were held tightly between his, so that when he did slam her against the wall, and kiss her ruthlessly again, she was jabbed by the hardness between his legs. She was hysterically thrashing to get away from him, but he kept pushing harder.

"No one will hear you pretty girl," said Nigael mocking her, "No one will hear your screams, and maybe soon, your moans –

She struggled to get away from the rock-hard horror sandwiched between his thighs and said, "Shut up you sick, wretched –

"But you'll moan, like a whore, after I'm finished with you, won't you?" he said cruelty engraved on his sharp features. He groped her violently, till she was wrestling him and simultaneously whimpering in pain. He was an animal. The terrified girl was wrenching his filthy hands off herself and trying to cover her ears from the vile things he was saying to her. But his hands were weapons, and they wouldn't get off her. His hands groped her painfully between her legs and he only mauled her more as she fought him.

She began, "Get away from me you, you –

"What's the matter? Can't think of anything to say? I can imagine you now," he said, mercilessly jerking the defenseless girl closer to him, "and you're going to suffer aren't you? When there's no air between us anymore, only pain and off course, pleasure."

"Please –

"And don't think I'm going to kill you," he said joyously, "I wouldn't give you that satisfaction. Do you know what eternal suffering is like? It is like me, it is like what your beloved did to me. So it fits, that you be my beloved now isn't it? I am going to take you, again and again and again…" and as he said those fatal words, he kissed her again so that her muted screams were not heard.

"Now come on, I wouldn't be so mean if I were you," he purred into her ears, "Maybe if you were a little nicer, I might not split you in half."


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18_

He shut up instantly. There were quick footsteps coming from the dungeon outside. He dropped her immediately, ran towards the room and into it. Katrina heard the lock click shut, and then there was only the sound of approaching footsteps.

The door flung open and there stood a hassled looking Leonard. He slammed the door and ran towards Katrina. She was standing there, clutching herself tightly.

He didn't say anything, because the moment she saw him, she ran into his arms and began to sob hysterically. He picked her up and left the room, still carrying her, back to their chambers.

It was a rough sprint back to their room for Leonard. Katrina was thrashing in his arms and weeping frenziedly into his shoulder, but he had to get her back so that she would calm down. Leonard was in a state. He was worried beyond perception. What had happened to her? He knew she was too upset to tell him anything right now, but it was of the utmost importance that he knew as soon as possible. If anyone had hurt her, he would kill him or her. So he opened the door and entered, locking it behind him.

He sat her on the bed and tried to console her, but it was quite hard. She had stopped sobbing now, but now she had hidden herself under the blankets and it was hard to find her under all the bedding.

"What happened Katrina?" asked Leonard gently as he tried to locate her under the sheets, "come out of there and tell me what happened." She wouldn't budge from there, no matter what he said, and what he did. He was at a loss, and he couldn't think of how he would get her to speak now.

She had begun to sob now, sob harder than before and he really didn't know what to do.

"Don't cry," he said hastily but he realized this was not the time to say this because she started crying louder than before, "I mean, tell me what has happened! I need to know what happened down in the library!"

There was no way she would talk. The only thing he could hear was painful howls from beneath a lump of sheets.

So he tugged all the sheets off the bed and threw them aside. There she was, curled in a ball and clearly quite distressed. It was horrible, and Leonard had never seen her as upset as this before. He couldn't contain the anger welling up inside him right now. But he had more important things to do. He had look after Katrina right now.

He picked her up and embraced her tightly. She stopped sobbing again and held him tightly, for hours it seemed. He wiped her tears away with his shirt and brushed her hair out of her face. She didn't talk for a very, very long time. He stayed there, for hours waiting for her to calm down. It was pitiful, watching the girl in such agony and not knowing what to do.

She did calm down eventually, after lengthy efforts from Leonard's side and told him everything. The more she said, the worse it got. Leonard was ready to hunt Nigael down and make him suffer. He remembered him all right, and he did kill him, many years ago. But how had he come back to life? He wasn't really a ghost, because he could touch and be felt. But he was dead, because had killed him.

Leonard looked livid, and couldn't believe what he was hearing. She had given up half way, and he again, had to try his hardest to get her to continue. Katrina was mortified at having to do this. How could she tell Leonard what he had said to her? How could she tell him that he had touched her?

"What did he do then Katrina?" asked Leonard harassed.

"H-he kissed me Leonard," she said embarrassed, "he pushed me against the wall, kissed me and said really, really scary things."

"And then what," said Leonard, surprising Katrina by not pressing her to talk about the kiss.

"I don't know," she said, trying to desperately escape his interrogations, "he did touch me though –

"Touch you? Where? When, I mean, where?" asked Leonard violently.

"Places he shouldn't have," she whispered.

That was enough for him. Leonard didn't show her how scandalized he was, and what he was going to do to Nigael, but she could tell he had never been more enraged.

"What did he say Katrina?" asked Leonard softly, a tinkle in his voice.

"He said, he wanted to avenge his death by making you suffer," she said, "But he didn't know what to do, because he can't kill you. So he decided to hurt me."

"I knew I shouldn't have left you there all alone," he said wildly gesticulating with his free hand because the other was still trying to wipe Katrina's tears away. "I didn't think anything would really happen, I was just being safe when I said you shouldn't be there alone. I never thought that something like this would happen."

"Its not your fault Leonard," she said, brittle, and persisted, "I didn't mean for you to think that. I'm just, really afraid now, that he might come back for me –

"I'll try my best to see what I can do okay?" he said, "Just stay really close to me, and I'll be there for you okay?"

"If he comes back," she continued panicky, "he may finish what he started –

"As long as you're with me, nothing is going to happen." He looked angry beyond words now.

She nodded delicately and said, "I am sorry Leonard, I really didn't mean to imply that it was your fault. Thank you for rescuing me."

"This is my entire fault," he said, "and there is nothing you can say which will make me change my mind. I will find him and I will hurt him."

"How did you know something was wrong?" she asked, the question burning inside her, "How did you come at the right time?"

"I could sense something wasn't right, and the first place I checked was with you," said Leonard thoughtfully.

"Sense it? How?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know," he said, "It is something I am able to do. I can sense trouble around people I care for, and I knew that something was wrong tonight when I left you there."

"You came just in time."

"It shouldn't have been that way," he said angrily, "Don't you see? I wasn't able to do anything about it."

She looked calmly into his agitated features and said, "You can't always control what is going to happen Leonard. I am thankful that you were there to protect me, but you can't be there for me constantly, you know? Things happen and sometimes you cant control the way the future takes you."

"I could have at least tried –

"Didn't you?" she said, "you warned me not to go there, and I did. So in all fairness, you did warn me –

"How can you say that?" he said, shocked, "how can you blame yourself for this? It is not all my fault, I know that and you know that. But, you have nothing to do with this. This is poor luck and my bad fortune victimizing you, don't you see?"

"I cannot blame you. I can never do that," said Katrina fiercely, "you do what you must Leonard. But you will not hear it from my mouth that you have caused this in any way."

Leonard glanced at Katrina and said, "I will put an end to him, a very unhappy end to him."

"Don't do anything stupid -

He hushed her and wrapped her in the sheets and in himself and within a few minutes, she was asleep. But Leonard would not sleep. He wouldn't sleep for a few nights to come. All he would do is think of how to battle this new development. This ghost, or whatever it was, had molested his wife and threatened to come after her, all for revenge? What could Leonard do about this? He had to find him first…


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19_

Over the next few weeks, Leonard did all he could to find the door where Nigael may be hiding. He hired a multitude of people to search the whole library and the aisle too was dismantled, but no door was found.

Katrina had moved on from that horrible night too and was getting back to normal. But Leonard wouldn't and couldn't move on. She tried hard to talk to him about forgetting this whole thing and moving on, but there was no hope. Leonard had taken this as an insult to his masculinity and had to destroy Nigael in the worst way possible. She was still afraid that Nigael might come after her any day, but she was frightened to death about what lengths Leonard was willing to go to put an end to this. As far as she was concerned, if they let it be, it may go away and there might not be a problem. But Leonard got very angry every time she said this and said she was being stupid and she should let him do what he wanted to. So she let him be, and decided it was best to leave him to his own decisions.

Things were tense, and days were rough, but it was beginning to get better. After a couple of months had passed, Leonard began to cool down and Katrina was back to normal. She still tried hard to relieve Leonard of his nerves, and it was beginning to work.

The following week, Leonard had some news for Katrina after he came back from a hard day. He came in, a little haggard and way into the night to a tired wife. She was nearly dozing off, fully dressed and waiting for Leonard when he finally came back.

"Where have you been darling?" she asked, stifling a long yawn, "Its late."

"Oh, just caught up with a lot of work," he said, looking careworn, "things aren't going well."

"Really?" she asked with tired eyes, "what is the matter?"

He said, "You know that property I have claim over, my fathers?"

She nodded.

"Well, there is a problem," he said darkly, "Someone has encroached upon it, and they need me to go and, settle things," and he added the last two words impressively.

"This means, you will go?"

"I will have to," he said, "but it is not a long trip and given past circumstances, I have cut down on the time to an extent."

"How long will you be gone for Leonard?" she asked, alert now.

"A week at the maximum, but I will try and be back in five days time, all right?" he added, smiling at her wrinkled brow.

"When are you going?"

"In a day or two," he said, "so that it can be done quickly. I am leaving Igor in your service. So, if there is anything that you need, tell him. He has appointed a range of guards to be protecting you at all times."

She sighed and said, "I think I might need them."

"I think you might too," he said smiling, "don't get your hopes up, they are all really ugly, so I won't need to worry."

She pretended to be distraught, "Oh my, now what will I do when you're gone. You know, Igor isn't that bad…"

"Off course he isn't," added Leonard casually, "I mean, the only thing wrong with him is that he is warty, grotesque and sleeps with old women," he added as Katrina shuddered and continued, "what could be wrong with that?"

So over the next couple of days Leonard got ready for a long journey south to the marshlands and put an end this nuisance. When the day did come, as he stood outside, carriage waiting at dawn, Katrina wished him a good journey and he was off.

Leonard had a long journey ahead of him and Katrina hoped he would be back soon. They were seven very long days, and all Katrina could do was bury herself in as much work as she could muster. So she decided to supervise the cleaning of the entire castle and dungeons. It was a little under two years that she had lived in this castle, and she still did not know most of it. She worked a fourteen-hour day everyday and could appreciate the job Leonard had, along with external affairs to handle. She had other duties to see to, which included making sure the servant's meal was delivered, the security was taut and work was being done. Igor was supposed to supervise the running of the castle, but as Katrina discovered on the first day, he was as useful as a lame dog. Igor didn't understand instructions and nor did he have the patience to accomplish work. Plus, she was the only one to look after the wolf, Helix. So after Katrina had finished employing a dozen new gardeners, many plumbers and a range of other laborers, they had set off to work. The castle was scrubbed, painted and the gardens trimmed and polished. Even in seven days, only a fraction of the work had been achieved and Igor was nowhere to be seen.

On her first evening alone, Katrina decided to go out to the gardens and check on progress. She walked down to men working hard and saw that Helix had been caged, because he would snap at the workers. No one had bothered to feed him. Katrina was livid when she found the poor starving animal curled up in a miniscule cage. She was the only one, other than the count whom Helix was loyal to and would never attack, so she decided to take him up with her, into the castle. Igor protested continually, saying that the wolf would attack someone and then there would be trouble, but she ignored him. Katrina had no intention to let him go and roam around the castle. She was going to keep him in her room at night and when he need to be fed, but otherwise, she would let him stay in the garden within the castle walls where he would be safe.

The workers found it shocking that the count's wife would sleep with a wolf in her room, and perhaps in her bed. Rumors flew like wildfire, saying she had powers like the count and she was perhaps a witch and might curse them all. Katrina discovered a strange efficiency in their work the next day and was pleasantly surprised. When she discovered the rumors flying through the castle, she laughed heartily, and told them it was true. No, the wolf did not sleep in her bed, but he was quite content curled up on the carpet snoozing by the fire.

At dusk, on the seventh day a disheveled Leonard rode back to his castle tired but satisfied. He got off as servants carried his bags back to the waiting room. Leonard was exhausted, but even as he walked through the gardens, they looked different and much better kept. That Igor did a good job, he thought, as he walked into the main chamber to find it well scrubbed and glimmering in the candlelight. But first, before he did anything, he had to see his wife.

So he strode up to his chambers and found the door unlocked. He pushed the door open, but there was no one in the room. Except, he noticed, a sleepy wolf sitting on the carpet and soaking in the fire.

"She's been spoiling you hasn't she, you lazy bastard," he said scratching the wolf affectionately behind his ears, "And what's all this –

Leonard had finally noticed all the candles in the room, that Katrina had obviously put up to welcome him home. But where was she?

"Katrina, are you here?" he asked loudly, "I'm home."

A voice rang out from the changing room, "I know! I'm coming!"

So Leonard let the wolf out and told him to go back to the gardens. The wolf grudgingly trotted away giving Leonard a hurt look. He came back at put his bag down. Suddenly, from behind, he felt a soft hand on him.

He smiled and said, "Remembered me, finally?"

Katrina said, "I'm not the one who went off for a week now was I?"

He turned around and kissed her, "I missed you."

She smirked and said, "Really? Well I didn't. Helix is a much better lover you know? All he did was sit by the fire and mind his own business."

"Too bad," he said, "I threw him out, I knew he was making moves on you the moment I walked in here and saw him lolling by the fire."

"I missed you to death," she said kissing him fiercely.

"I think I've left you alone for too long," he said incredulously as she began to unbuckle his pants, "The door isn't locke –

"Oh forget the door," she whispered, "I need you right here, right now." He could see every eyelash on her eyes and every gentle crinkle on her lips as she continued to kiss him.

"Katrina, what are you wearing?" he asked, finally noticing fully what she had clad.

"Oh, I thought I'd welcome you home nicely," she said smiling slyly. Oh it was a good welcome, he thought, staring at that at barely-there lingerie. He threw off his clothes hastily and slid Katrina's off her too. He picked her up and wrapped her nimble legs around his robust hips, gasping for air and then gluing her lips back onto his.

He gently pushed her against the wall, while her legs continued to be swathed around him. He began to push into her and her flyaway hair was pressed harder onto the wall. It was frustrating, his attraction to her, because making love was satisfying, but he always wanted more. No matter how good it was, no matter how long it went on, he would always want more.

Katrina cried out as Leonard thrust harder and she gasped deeper. The darker the sky became, the more intense grew their lovemaking. She had really missed him, he realized and knew how hard it was to live without her.

"Did Igor get all this done?" he asked Katrina later in the night, "All the gardens are polished, the hall re-polished."

"Not at all Leonard," she said exasperatedly, "what a hopeless man he is. I tried my hardest to get done what you had told him to do, because he refused to do it."

"I knew he might do that," said Leonard rolling his eyes in disgust, "I'm glad you took over. It's a brilliant job done, probably more than that man did all year."

"Why thank you Leonard," she said smirking, "does this I'm the man of this house now?"

"Haven't you always been?" he said dejectedly.

"Not at all, I'm the trophy wife isn't it?" she said.

"What a terrible trophy then," he said, "don't you want to hear about how my trip was, or what I did?"

"Yes, tell me, I'm dying to know," she said excitedly.

So she put out the candles and locked the door and he told her of his journey over the past week. It had been rough, and it had been long. But whatever he had to accomplish, he had done it.

He had to travel through marshes and swamps for a whole two days, on a rickety carriage and through bad weather. But after tough negotiations and sleepless nights, the deal was closed and the encroachment was ended.

It was even very late into the night, but Leonard didn't even say goodnight, and he had dropped off to sleep instantly.


	21. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20_

Her eyes snapped open. Katrina couldn't believe it. It had been two years since she had first come to live with the count, not exactly of her own accord. She awoke that morning feeling different from anything she had felt before. It was her wedding anniversary, the second one now. But she was still seventeen, only, rising eighteen.

Leonard woke up groggily. It had been more than two months since he had returned from his journey, and had been happy to find a much calmer home to come back to. He sat up in bed, only to find Katrina not in it. It was still quite early in the morning and she did not get up at dawn habitually.

"Katrina?" he said quietly. He heard rustling in the bathroom.

"Why are you awake Leonard?" she said, returning. She was wringing her hands in an odd fashion, he noticed and kept pacing back and forth past the bed.

"Woke up when you did," he said, looking at her behaving in this strange manner and frowning, "why are you up darling?"

"Oh, couldn't sleep," she said unconcernedly. But it didn't look like nothing. She was still doing the strange wringing movement and had now added to the peculiar behavior by tapping her foot loudly on the wooden floor.

"Are you okay?" he said looking worried, "is anything wrong?"

"Well, no," she said quietly, "I mean, I don't know. It might be wrong for you, but I don't know what to think," she glanced at him anxiously and continued, "I don't know, I don't know, I mean, I cant decide what's going on."

Leonard looked very confused at this sudden rant and for a moment gazed into space with his eyes unfocused. He shook himself and said, "What don't you understand? What happened Katrina? You look worried."

"This is hard okay," she said, now definitely looking a little flustered, "I don't know what you'll think! I, we never really talked about this and I don't even know if it's really happening. I could be imagining it."

He got up and walked to where she was standing and gazed at her, clearly questioning her sanity. He gaped for a moment, clearly at a loss and said, "I really don't have any idea what you're saying. I, uh, yes, I need to need what this is all about okay?" he said, looking at her as if she were perhaps a little slow or spoke a different language.

She looked more alarmed at his reaction, but recovered herself and said, "Okay, if I tell you, you have to promise me something alright?"

"Yes, anything," he said, now curious to know why Katrina was acting like she was.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath but clearly looking more confident, "I don't know how to put this, but you know how it was supposed to be that time?"

Leonard looked even more puzzled now and his eyes immediately slid out of focus again. He said, "Uh, what time?"

She looked a little less confident now and said, "that time, you know, that time, uh, I mean that time of the month."

Comprehension dawned on his face like the dawn outside and he said, "That time of the month, yes I know it was around the corner."

"Yes, it was around the corner," she said relieved he had caught on, "well, there's a problem." She looked a little unsure again and began to wring her hands furiously again.

"Problem?" he asked, catching on, "what problem? Should I call a doctor? I can call a woman if you like, I know it might be uncomfortable in front of a man, but what's the problem?"

"No, no," she said hurriedly, exasperation etched on her face.

"Then what darling?" he said strained, trying to subdue her schizophrenic behavior.

"Oh god Leonard," she said, tears welling in her eyes and beginning to run down her face, "well, it didn't come."

"What didn't come?" he said alarmed by this outburst.

"I'm late," she said through choking sobs.

"You're late for what?" he asked hastily, but a second later comprehension once again dawned on him, "Oh…"

She had stopped crying now but was standing rigidly with her eyes wide open and her hands no longer entangled in each other, but waiting stiffly at her sides.

He thought for a few seconds and said, "So does that mean we are…"

She nodded, embarrassed, but tears still streaming down her face like slow rivers.

But a few seconds later, when the shock had passed, his face broke into a wide grin and he said, "but that is wonderful news!"

She was taken aback by his sudden change in reaction. She gave a shaky laugh but was clearly in great shock.

"Are you sure darling?" he asked jubilant, "I mean, even if you're late, it could still come right?"

"No Leonard," she said, looking slightly less shaken now, "I am over a month late. I think it really is happening."

"Then why were you so sad?" he said with a astounded look on his face now, "don't you want this child?"

"Oh, no I was just in shock," she said, "but I was scared that you may not have wanted a child."

"Off course I want a child," he said indignantly, "How could you think such a thing?"

"Well, we never really talked about it, and I just didn't know," she said, discomfited.

"We will have a magnificent feast in this honor then," he said happily, "and we shall invite people from all the land."

"Alright," she said relieved, "I can't believe this is happening Leonard…"

He smiled softly at her and said, "I always wanted a child. I think you will be a wonderful mother."

She kissed him and said, "It will be a lucky child, to have you as a father."

"What did you want me to promise you Katrina?" he asked, remembering her warning a few minutes ago.

"Oh, that," she said, "That was just a promise you had to make to not kill me if you didn't want the baby."

"You're really quite stupid you know?" he asked dazedly.

"I know," she said dejectedly.

He put his arms around her and a confused expression came over his features. A moment later he said, "Do you want it to be a male or female child?"

"Either," she said, "what about you?"

"Oh, I would want either, but," he glanced at her, "I always wanted my firstborn to be a girl child."

"Well, it doesn't matter," she said, looking happy.

"This is going to be something else," he said incredulously.

She set her imploring gaze on him and said, "but I'm warning you Leonard, I am going to need your help all the way alright? I don't know anything about any of this baby business, and I can't do this on my own. And especially when there's pain, you're the only one who can get me through it."

"Whatever you want darling," he said resting his hand on her stomach, "anything for you and the baby," he suddenly stood up, raised a hand to his forehead as if he had forgotten something and just remembered it, "isn't it our anniversary today?"

"Yes," she said smiling.

"I'm so sorry Katrina, I had forgotten," he said looking apologetic.

"Not at all Leonard," she said, "I don't insist on anything, you know?"

"No, but we must do something," he said, "Why don't we take the day off and go plains for lunch?"

"That sounds good," she said happily. "When do you want to leave?"

"Not now off course," he said pointing to the glum morning skies, "but let us leave in a few hours right?"

"What do you want to do till then?" asked Katrina, smirking.

"Well, something celebratory without a doubt," he said softly, "because we have a lot to celebrate today, don't we?"

"I was lying Katrina," said Leonard, "I didn't forget our anniversary at all."

He drew out a small package from the depths of his travel bag and handed it to her. It was coated with deep purple velvet.

"What is this Leonard?" she asked incredulously.

"Open and see," he said.

She opened the box and found a pendant with a chain nestled within its depths. It was beautiful just like everything he had ever given her before. It was a delicate wreath of gold roses, hanging on a similarly delicate white-gold chain.

"You spoil me Leonard," she said shell-shocked.

"Don't look so stunned Katrina! I feel like a bad husband who never does anything for his wife," he said.

"Sorry, I just really like it, I cant believe it is so beautiful," she said smiling.

"I knew you would love it," he said, "I brought it when I went on my journey earlier."

"This deserves a reward," she said, "Anything."

"Anything?" he whispered.


	22. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21_

The upcoming baby was a long-term project, and Katrina's health was a concern. After the doctor had had a close look at her, she had said Katrina was presently nearing a two-month mark in her pregnancy. She was in good health, but she needed to perhaps put on some more weight, because now she was eating for two people. Leonard took this upon himself and it brought new zeal into him, forcing his wife to eat healthy amounts at every meal. But no matter how much she ate, it would not show and she continued to be as small as she had started out. Slowly but surely, there were changes in her. She was not really putting on as much weight as a pregnant woman should, but still, it was very early on to be able to judge. There was a visit from the doctor to check up on her almost every week, and they were happy that she was pulling through quite well.

It was as if something was making the castle glow, or making Leonard smile and Katrina heartily giggle all the time. It was like a talisman within her, which had lit up the world for them. But things were hard for them in many ways. The first trimester was struggling through its last month, and Katrina wasn't feeling her best. It was hard, with the subtle changes in her body and behavior, and a constant illness within her. She wasn't healthy, not because she was underweight, but because she was unlucky enough to have a bad case of morning sickness. Almost every morning was met with extreme nausea and giddiness. She would lie sweating in her bed, weaving in and out of nausea and nightmares almost nightly. There was nothing they could do about this, the doctor had said, all women went through it, some more intensely than others. All she could do was grit her teeth and get through it. That wasn't an easy thing for someone to hear, someone who was sick every morning sporting everything from violent nausea to a cramping abdomen.

But the struggles were coming to an end, and she had almost pulled through. It was nearing the close of her third month. Leonard had spent two months of close to sleepless nights along with Katrina and her morning and nightly sickness. But it was all worth it.

She was beginning to show now, and it was midway through her fourth month. It wasn't really a very large bump, but she had definitely bloomed. It showed on her much earlier than it did on most women.

"What are you doing Leonard?" asked Katrina one evening as Leonard began to open his bag.

"Oh, nothing really," he said nervously, glancing at her, "I just have to pack for a while, and that's all."

"Really?" she said sharply, "and where might you be going?"

"Oh alright Katrina, I have to go for two days," he said, "it came up suddenly, and I will have to go tomorrow."

"Where?" she asked.

"Not far, this time," he said relived she didn't upset, "just the other side of the forest to meet the man who is giving us some land trouble again. But I will go tomorrow and be back the night day after."

"That's okay," she said gently, "I know you have to, and things have been so busy lately. I'm glad it's only for a short while. You know I'll look after your work while you're gone."

"Not at all," he said startled, "I will not have my pregnant wife doing anything at all."

She chuckled and said, "Its not as if I'm going to give birth any day now, is it?"

"Yes, but still I'm sure Igor will be a better assistant this time," said Leonard dangerously, "at least, he'd better be."

"Why do you rely on him Leonard? I know he is trustworthy in many ways, but he cannot see beyond his usual chores and look after your work. Why can't I do it?" she demanded, looking indignantly at him.

"Fine, fine just do it," he said exasperatedly, "do whatever you want, and don't blame me if you're an exhausted wreck then."

"Now that's better," she said shrewdly.

She wouldn't admit it, she never would, but when Leonard wasn't in the castle, there was something wrong about it. Maybe it was the way most people in love would feel, but she just didn't feel safe when he wasn't around. Whether it was the vastness of the castle or its furtive inhabitants, she had never gotten used to being alone and being at peace. Nigael had never stopped haunting her thoughts, even though it had been quite a while now. Nothing had happened last time when Leonard had gone, so there was no reason for it to happen this time, she reassured herself. She rolled over and closed her eyes, throwing her apprehensions out of her mind. A happy baby needed a happy mother, she reminded herself as she began to drift out of consciousness.

Leonard woke up early, trying not to wake Katrina, but her eyes snapped open as soon as he got out of bed. She shook the sleep out of her eyes and threw the bedding off herself.

"Time to go darling?" she asked groggily, but still getting out of bed too.

"Don't get up Katrina, just go back to sleep," he said hurriedly.

"No," she snapped, "I'm packing the rest of your bag, and you can go and get dressed, alright then?"

No matter how hard he tried, there was no reasoning with her, as she snatched his clothes and began to fold them and pack them away. This was the way she was now, and he guessed it was something to do with her expecting. He never quite knew what she would do. So Leonard was dressed and within the hour, ready to go. Katrina still looked very sleepy, and she should have been because it was a lot before dawn and was more accurately, the middle of the night.

So she followed him down to the gates, shivering in the January winds, and they walked towards the waiting chariot. He put his bag in, which was quite small sized, as he would only be gone for two days.

"Go back inside," he said sharply, "you're going to freeze yourself and the baby to death."

"Oh alright then," she said hugging him tightly, "come back soon, we'll miss you," she stroked the lump on her, "and be safe alright?"

"Don't you worry about me," he said, "Now go back inside right now."

"No Leonard," she said imploringly, "promise me you'll take care of yourself okay?"

"I will," he said genuinely, "but you have to promise to eat and rest a lot too."

"Alright," she said smiling, "We love you." He kissed her goodbye.

He went back to the chariot, but Katrina did not go until he was off and beyond their lavish gates, leaving deep trails in the bitter snow.


	23. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22_

Katrina shivered all the way back to the room and promptly fell right back to sleep again. She was extremely sick all morning, so she didn't get out of bed till it was noon. She was getting frustrated with this baby already, what with the nausea nearly every morning and Leonard's fussing. She had drawn the curtains for the light from the sun, which penetrated the windows, was searing into her eyes like a hot knife. Oh this can't be happening, she thought to herself as she got up once more, and hauled herself to the bathroom to be sick for the fourth time that morning. She returned to her bed, giddy and frail, only to fall into an uncomfortable sleep for another hour.

But while Katrina was busy being sick, Leonard was uneasy. The journey was long once again, and it was several hours till he had reached the outskirts of the forest. He could not explain why there was a strange foreboding in his mind, but it had settled there since he had been informed he was going to have to make this trip. He didn't shake this feeling, like his wife had the previous night, which off course he did not know about. He lingered on these thoughts for a very long time. He wondered why he was feeling like this, because it was no longer just a whim, it was pure dread. But he had no reason to feel like this, so he shook it out of his mind at last, by which time his journey was nearing its end.

Her first day was now a complete disaster, and she smiled bitterly thinking of what a great coincidence it was that she had to fall deathly ill the day Leonard left. She staggered out of bed and got dressed. But it took one walk to the bathroom and back to convince her that she was in no position to be doing any work at all. She staggered right back to the bed and lay there, spinning in and out of consciousness. Maybe she needed some fresh air, a small walk perhaps. So, slowly, she lifted herself off the bed and walked down to the gardens. It was like walking in a dream because she couldn't feel her feet touch the ground as she walked. She was quite bored, and couldn't muster the energy to do any work, so she contented herself with caring for Helix, who was reclining in his favorite bush.

"Hi darling," she said lovingly, scratching him while he closed his eyes contentedly.

"Want to come upstairs for a while?" she said, smiling at the wolf's bliss, "daddy's not home today, so you can come and sleep there."

She beckoned him and he got up lazily and followed her. She led him back to the room and he strolled in, only to claim his favorite place, on the bed. He scrambled onto Leonard's side of the bed and rolled on the pillows.

"Don't let him see you doing that ever," said Katrina lying down beside the wolf and stroking him, "Leonard would skin you alive."

Before she knew it, she was asleep, again. But this time, she did not wake for a very long time. In fact, it had been more than a few hours and there was no sign of movement from her. Helix sniffed her curiously a few times, but was reassured that she hadn't died, and had left her alone. Then her eyes snapped open with a knock at the door. Helix began to growl.

"Its okay helix," she said trying to calm him and then she said loudly, "Who is it?"

There was a raspy voice at the door, "Madam, it is I Igor, may I speak with you?"

"Just a second Igor," she said.

"No helix," she said sharply as the wolf growled louder. He fell silent instantly.

Katrina walked to the door and opened it. Indeed it was Igor standing there, looking a little worried.

"What is the matter Igor?" she asked kindly.

He said, looking flustered, "Madam, you have been asleep for very long, I was wondering if everything is alright. You have not eaten all day, and it will be evening soon. You must come and eat right now. Master told me check on you every hour, what will he think if he knows that you did not eat a meal all day?"

"I was unwell Igor, but you're right, I should eat now. It is not wise to starve in my condition," she said looking contrite.

"I will accompany you madam," he said.

"Thank you," she said, and she locked the room behind her, leaving Helix to curl onto his master's pillows again.

Very reluctantly, she ate and it was already late afternoon by then and evening was approaching. She chastised herself on not following her rules and being irresponsible. Leonard would have skinner _her _alive.

His work was getting along all right, and he had almost settled the matter with the encroaching culprits, but Leonard was far from being a rested man. He had grown uneasy all day and at this point, he was ready to throw down everything and be home with Katrina. He really couldn't shake this feeling. The more he thought of her, the more worried he became. But there was only a day to go, and he would be home with her tomorrow evening, he reassured himself and then she would be safe. But till then…

Her sickness had driven the dread out of her, but as she lay alone at night, accompanied only by the snoring Helix by her side, she began to wonder. Why was she feeling like this? The sickness was normal, she had lived with it for a couple of months now, but there was something in her heart she could not explain. Why had she so suddenly begun to feel this creeping paranoia again? It was not the pregnancy, she decided, for she would have to have been feeling this for a few months now. It was Leonard being away, and she knew it was this, because the moment he had left those gates, she knew something wasn't right…


	24. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23_

Sleep had been troubled last night, thought Katrina, reflecting back to the series of nightmares she had had. They had all begun with something unconnected like Helix, or her and Leonard making love or walks at dusk, but they had ended with the same nameless and faceless person attacking her. She had woken up quite late, sweating, with the image of such a person whispering threats into her ears burned into her mind. Why cant they leave me alone, thought Katrina, frustrated, as she calmed herself down.

But it was a much better day for her, and she could actually manage some work from her side, and to top it off, she hadn't been sick all day. So her worries were once again, swept away from her mind. Leonard, many miles away, was not as lucky as her. He had not slept a wink that night, and the day wasn't looking up for him either. He was paranoid, obsessive, angry, obtrusive and mainly, completely troubled by this unknown ghost haunting his thoughts. What would he do if she were in trouble? He couldn't get there in time, he knew that, but what would he do? He rearranged his plans to be able to move earlier so that he would be able to reach home by the evening, hours before his original schedule allowed him to return. He could shake this feeling no longer; he had to do something about it.

He informed his chauffeur and colleagues of this change in plans and although they were a caught a little off guard, they accepted. This relieved him greatly, because the very last place he wanted to be right now was away from Katrina. He knew he would reach home to find her perfectly all right, and he would curse himself for his paranoia. Leonard openly hoped this would be true. Because if ever anything was to happen to her, he would not forgive himself…

A few hours later, while Katrina did paperwork in her bedroom, and Helix continued to loll on the bed occasionally leaning over to her to be pampered, Leonard was interrupted by an old, haggard looking messenger.

"What do you want man?" asked Leonard sharply.

"My lord, the council has sent an urgent message," wheezed the man, "they said you must not leave early today, you must leave at your original time."

"That is not possible," said Leonard, inwardly panicking, "I have urgent matters to attend to, and I must return."

"Sir, they asked me to tell you that all the paperwork which was finalized yesterday has been lost sir," croaked the old man.

"Lost? How?" asked Leonard angrily.

"Sir, the man who was delivering the papers to the council, well, he was attacked sir, and they don't know how, but he is dead. Someone, unknown, tore all the paperwork to shreds, and there is no more information. But sir, they have said that the faster you arrive, the faster this will be over, but it is crucial for you to remain here till the evening.

"This is a great inconvenience, I must say," said Leonard enraged, "but it seems there is no choice then, I must stay."

"Sir, I will inform them," said the man, relieved.

"Thank you," replied Leonard, preoccupied in his own thoughts.

This had gone wrong, he thought panicking, this had gone very, very wrong. He didn't like the coincidence. There was something unnerving about it. This situation had risen up to keep him from his wife, and he knew it. But it was quite normal for something like this to happen wasn't it? People get attacked all the time, don't they? But there is something fishy about this Leonard, don't deny it, said a little voice in his head. He would not be able to leave early as he had planned, but he would try his hardest to leave as soon as he could. It was already noon, he thought getting worried. So the chariot took off and they were there in a few minutes. Leonard ran into their headquarters and got to work immediately.

It was now late afternoon. Katrina was wrapping up her work, but Leonard was nowhere close. They hadn't managed to cover even a third of their work. He was angry, worried and paranoid, which was not a good combination. The council couldn't for the life of them figure out what was troubling the young man so much, which he explicitly refused to share. Their arguments were not making things easier, and Leonard tried his best to keep his temper even though it was quite clear he was fuming.

It was evening, and Katrina was now ready to relax and perhaps get ready for the evening, Leonard would be back, she thought relieved. See, she thought to herself, there was nothing to be worried about now was there? She went to the dining hall and sat down to have a decent meal, something she should have been doing all this while. Meanwhile, Leonard's thoughts were drifting to her again, and coincidentally, he mused for a second on how beautiful she looked when she ate and how he embarrassed her ever so often by telling her that. Katrina was missing him, sitting alone and pondering what he must be doing. She had an awful feeling he was either going to be late or be back tomorrow. But then again, he might be on his way too, she thought, reassuring herself. After her meal was over, she went back to her chambers to have a nice hot shower. Igor had made sure she had enough hot water and she went to thank him before she made her way back to the room. Leonard was still looking at a pile of paperwork lying in front of him.

Just a few more minutes and I will leave, he thought hurriedly, as he signed stacks of sheets. Why am I like this today, he thought angrily, there has to be something wrong.

Mmm, this bath is perfect, thought Katrina, as she lay slid into the tub, her skin savoring the warmth.

Just three more, only three more and will leave this hellhole…

I wish Leonard were in here with me…

SNAP! Katrina jumped. What was that? Her heart was racing. What was that noise?

"I-Igor?" she said, her voice breaking under the fear.

There was no answer.

She exhaled. Its nothing, see, its just you being stupid. Katrina, calm down…

THUD! It was too much for her, she stood against the bathroom door, putting on her robe and tightening it. She opened the door and…


	25. Chapter 24

_Chapter 24_

…And she stepped out of the bathroom. Her hair was sopping wet, draped around her shoulders and dripping down her whole bathrobe. She tenderly stepped out and slid on her slippers. She walked into her room. She exhaled again, because there was nothing there. Always overreacting, she scolded herself; see there was nothing here. Everything was the way she had left it, and there was nothing to worry about. Then she walked towards the bed and saw the door. It was open, but only slightly. She was shivering now, and was scared out of her mind. But had to be a logical explanation for all this. It was probably the wind, right? She calmed down, because there was nothing to worry about, and the door had swung open because of the wind. She didn't remember locking it, so it would have been easy for it to be swung open because of the raging wind. It was quiet, and she could hear her footsteps on the fluffy carpet, and the wind outside and the last birds and -

"Hello beautiful," said a soft voice.

Katrina gasped loudly. She swerved around violently, and looked desperately everywhere. There was no one there. Where was it coming from?

"Who is it?" she said, in her quivering voice.

'Why, its only me," said the voice again, "and I'm right where you want me."

Suddenly he was there, and Katrina screamed. She didn't know for how long she screamed, but there was no way anyone in the castle could have not heard that voice.

He was sitting there, on her bed. He hadn't been there a second ago, but there he was, spread out on her bed. He looked the same, the same as she remembered him to be. She hadn't forgotten her nightmares, and she really hadn't forgotten him at all. He haunted her everyday of every waking hour.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said snidely, cutting across her screams.

"Why are you here?" she asked, but not wanting to know the answer.

"Oh, well, it was my day off and I decided to drop by and have a cup of tea and chat," he said snickering, "why do you think I am here?"

She didn't say anything. She knew exactly why he was here. But what could she do now? What could she possibly do? All she knew was, she had to keep him talking as long as she could…

"What's the matter? Tongue-tied? Because I can arrange that too," he said sweetly, still comfortably spread out on her bed.

She looked around the room wildly. Where was helix? She had left him here hadn't she?

"Are you looking for that filthy animal?" he asked, sneering.

"What have you don't with him?" said Katrina.

"Oh, nothing at all," said Nigael casually, "He is just a little comfortable right now."

"Answer me!" she screamed.

He pointed to the corner of the room. Helix was tied up. Both pair of limbs tied in ropes, and his collar attached to the closet handle so he wouldn't escape.

"See, I knew he would be a problem," said Nigael softly.

"Please leave," she said stonily.

"Now, now, is that any way to treat your guest?" he said, sneering, "I might have to teach you a few manners too."

"Look, I'm warning you, my husband will be back shortly and you don't want to be here when he comes back alright?" she said hurriedly, hoping against hope he might be scared off.

She failed. He laughed and said, "Oh darling, your husband won't be back for many hours, and I can assure you that. I made arrangements for him to be tragically delayed. In fact, it may be a very long time till he gets home. By which time…"

She looked shocked and said, "what have you done to him?"

"Isn't that sweet," he said, laughing again, "true love."

She gave him a filthy look and snapped at him, "Tell me what you have done? I doubt you have done anything though, I know how much you fear him."

He smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. They were cold and merciless. He tinkled another laugh and said, "Do you really think I fear that man? You are gravely mistaken" she could tell that what she had said had cut him deep. There was a dark shadow of sorts playing on his face, and his smile was now more like a badly sheltered grimace. She knew what she had to do to disturb him.

"I am not mistaken Nigael," she said unflinchingly, "Why did you drop me and run that day, if it was not for the fact that you fear him?"

"I had unfinished business to do," he said angrily, "I wasn't going to ruin my plan because of him."

She smiled coldly and said, "Then why are you here today, when he is not here? Why not accost me when he is here? Doesn't that show that you fear him?"

"You can pretend all you want not to fear me Katrina –

"And you can pretend all you want not to fear Leonard –

He gave her a dangerous look, "either way, we may both suffer because of that."

She was silenced.

"There, now we're learning to control what we say isn't it?" he said, sneering, "now what did I come here for?"

"Leave before you do something you regret Nigael," said Katrina sharply.

"Oh, but I am not going to regret anything tonight Katrina," he said, tasting her name as he said it, "and neither will you."

"How dare you!" she shrieked, "_You_ are ruining this family, why can't you just leave us alone?"

"Did he leave me alone Katrina?" yelled Nigael, standing up abruptly so that she jumped a few steps back, "then why should I leave him alone? Why should I leave you alone when you can give me everything I want?"

Helix growled menacingly from his corner, but it was useless, he couldn't do anything at all.

"Shut that animal up," said Nigael dangerously, "or I'll do it for him."

She looked at the wolf, and went up to it. It licked her gently. "Please helix," She whispered in his ear, "don't do anything no matter what happens okay?

He growled again.

"Please," she whispered desperately, "that's an order. Don't do anything, don't growl, just be silent, no matter what happens."

"Now that's a good animal," he said, "he knows to shut up when he has to."

"I can't give you anything Nigael," she said frigidly, "my heart belongs to Leonard only."

"Then I will steal it from him," he said dangerously, "and you will come with me after tonight, and he will have to live without you. As for what you can give me, I know you have everything I need. And you had better learn to show some respect. I could kill you right here and now, but it is out of mercy for you I am not doing that –

"Mercy?" she shrieked incredulously, "I do not need your filthy mercy! Kill me right here and now and I would prefer that to ever being with you! I am begging you to kill me now, kill me and be done with it! I would rather die than do anything for you –

"Which is exactly why you will not die," said Nigael simply, with inevitability dripping from his voice. "Like I have said before, you are mine now, and that is all that matters."

Katrina said nothing. This was it. There was nothing she could do. What she had been feeling these days had been true. She hadn't trusted herself, and she should have. She had sensed that something would go wrong if Leonard left, and here it was, everything had gone very, very wrong.

"Where will you go Katrina?" he asked softly, to the retreating girl. Unknowingly, Katrina had begun to move backwards, back to the bathroom.

Nigael inched forwards, a tiny step at a time to match hers.

"Where are you going to hide Katrina?" he asked as she moved further back till she could no longer see him.

It didn't seem like he was following her and she kept inching backwards. The wall was right behind her, few steps away, but Nigael didn't say a word. In fact, he didn't even seem to be in the room anymore. There was no sound coming from the bedroom, and indeed, the only sound in the entire room was Katrina's serrated gasps. Where was he?

She had inched even closer to the wall behind her. It was barely two steps away. She reached her hand back behind her to touch the wall, but she found something else. She found another hand. The other one of its pair reached and gently grabbed her around her waist. She couldn't say anything. The fear was choking her and was parching her throat to discomfort. His breath was warm somewhere around the side of her face.

"Come closer," he whispered in her ear.


	26. Chapter 25

_Chapter 25_

His hands moved and began caressing her breasts gently. She unfastened his hands, which were continually molesting her, stroking her and hurting her. She wriggled herself out of his clutches. To her extreme surprise, he let her go almost immediately. She stood there shocked for a moment, but turned to look at him. He looked completely at peace with the situation and was leaning against the wall with a strange comfort. She gaped at him, and then began to retreat backwards again. She had no plan forming in her mind right now, only confusion and panic.

This wasn't the Nigael she had had to confront the last time. He was strangely different. He wasn't entirely rough and violent like he had been the last. He was being utterly confusing now. He didn't do anything to her, but let her out of his grasp instantly.

"Why are you playing these mind games with me?" she spat, furious.

"What mind games?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Last time," she said worriedly, "You made to kill me, to hurt me -

"Why, I changed my mind see. I figured I had been a little rough on you the last time, and decided to change my ways."

"Oh I see," said Katrina sarcastically, "So you really care about me now right?"

"Why, off course I do," he said smiling, or leering at her, his shadowy eyes flickering to her meet hers, "I would much rather love you than hate you, because Leonard would hate that much more wouldn't he? He doesn't care about you at all does he? He doesn't want me to do anything to you because it would stain his dear reputation right?"

"Your words are poison –

"But don't you agree?" he said, louder now, "if I killed you, it would be okay, because he would be rid of you and it wouldn't be his fault. It would be tragic, but not that bad. On the other hand, if I stole you away, it would be a terrible for his status isn't it?"

"You know nothing of him, you are a bitter man Nigael and you are turning that bitterness towards me –

But suddenly he was gone. He had vanished from where he had been standing a moment ago.

"Where are you?" she said shakily, she knew he was still around. But where was he?

She had edged all the way back to the footboard of the bed, and right next to the French windows, where there was a bright moon shining silvery light into the room.

Meanwhile, Leonard was getting into a fierce argument with the council leaders. He was continuously saying he had to be gone, but they wouldn't hear of it.

"You do not understand your lordship," said a haggard looking elder, "if this deal is not signed today and all the paperwork not finalized, it will be invalid."

"It is you who is not understanding my position," said Leonard furiously, "My wife is not well, I must be home with her. This deal is not of importance to me in light of these developments. She is very ill."

"I am sorry to hear that," said the man, stressed, "but it will only be a few more minutes."

Back at the castle, there was still no sign of Nigael. But Katrina knew better than to expect he had gone away. She merely stood by the window and stared around the room, till a few minutes had passed and there was no sign of him.

"See how much you long for me?" said Nigael, from right behind her.

She made to run away from him, but he had had enough of her avoiding him now. He grabbed her from behind, clutching both her arms.

"Enough foreplay," he said softly, "let's play."

"No, let me go," she said fighting his tight grasp on her wrists.

"I have waited too long for this," he said through gritted teeth, "I will not let you, or anyone ruin this now."

He moved both her hands behind her and clutched her wrists with his hand.

"I will not wait any longer," he whispered. He stroked her neck gently and moved her long, black hair away from her front. He ran his hands down her neck and between her breasts, covered by the silver-satin robe.

"Please, let me go," she begged, "You can still walk away from this."

"But I don't want to," he said, smiling, "there is nothing you can say or do which will stop this Katrina. I suggest that you begin to cooperate." He leaned over her neck from behind her and left a trail of kisses all the way from behind her neck and to her jaw line.

His hands were stroking her breasts now, and she was still trying to unfetter her hands from his. He was too strong for her, but she had to try. His hands moved down to her stomach, and she whimpered, not out of pain, but more out of fear.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked curiously noticing that she hadn't cried when he had touched her breasts, but was crying when he touched her stomach.

"P-pl-please Nigael," she said through her leaking tears, "you don't understand. I'm pregnant. Please don't do this…"

Someone else had heard her say that too. Leonard, in between his heated argument, dropped all his papers and stood stone still in the conference room. He had been right all along, and Katrina was in trouble. He was there, at home, in their room and Leonard wasn't. A hundred people looked at him, shocked. What was wrong with him? But he had heard those words in his head, those last words. Nigael was in his room, and he was molesting his wife, right this moment. There was no time and he would have to drop everything and go the faster way…

The next moment, Leonard had leapt up to the ceiling windows in one smooth jump and was throwing them open. He jumped out of the window, causing the crowd to gasp and scream in shock. But the next thing they saw was the giant transformed bat streaking across the dark skies across towards the mountains.

"Pregnant is it?" said Nigael shocked.

"Yes," said Katrina painfully through her tears, "Please, for the baby…"

"This changes nothing," he said carelessly.

"Please –

"No," he said smoothly, "Like I said, this changes nothing."

Katrina looked stunned and said, "Why do you have no mercy?"

He didn't seem to be listening to her, "Don't you think I would make a wonderful father Katrina? Well, well this is a pleasant surprise. I came here to claim a wife, but I got a child too."

"N-no!" she screamed, "you wouldn't!"

"Off course I would," he said, a wild look in his eyes, "Now come on, too many interruptions."

He pushed down her struggling hands and held them tightly again. But this time she was able to free one of hers. She raised it and struck him hard across the face. He was momentarily shaken, but resumed his clasp on both her hands. His face was burning where she had punched him, but he had to hold her. Even though she was pregnant, she was very strong, and if he didn't hole her tightly enough, she would surely run.

"I mistook you for a weak woman," he said roughly, "but you will pay for that."

He yanked her close to himself, and pushed his lips onto hers, stifling her cries. He was kissing her vigorously, and still fighting her flailing arms. She didn't have the strength to fight him off the way she could have earlier. Her sickness didn't allow it. The more she fought, the more she suffered. But still, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Leonard was racing across the skies, he didn't like to transform during the day, but he knew he had to do something. The wind was slapping his face and his wings were weighed down by the wind, but he had to get there before…


	27. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26_

Nigael lifted Katrina and put her on the bed. She immediately began to scramble to get up, but the pain was too much. She was weak, very weak. And the second she rose off the bed, it was if something pushed her right back on it. She cried in pain. There was a sharp tug in her back and the next second it was as if her head was splitting open. Nigael had not pushed her, and after a moment she realized it was her back giving away because of her pregnancy.

"Don't fight me Katrina," he said warningly. "You saw what happened to you. Don't do this, you will only injure yourself and our child."

"Our child?" she screamed through her tears, "Our child? You are sick Nigael! You should get help! I will not let you have my child, I will not!"

"Oh, but there is nothing you can do is there?" he said, leaning over her, "since you belong to me now, I can do whatever I want with you. And its better if you don't fight isn't it? Like I said before, the more you fight, the harder I fuck you."

He began to kiss her again, but although she fought, she was beginning to give in. he could feel the way her strength was getting sapped. So he decided it was time. When she wouldn't fight, he would have his way with her.

"See isn't this better," he said, when she stopped flailing her arms, "I know you want me so badly, you're burning."

She couldn't even say anything, because he was pushing his lips against hers. She was choking on his kisses, his vigorous, violent kisses. He kissed her cheeks, and traveled down to her neck and licked her, tasting her. She tasted like cranberries, he thought.

He untied her robe and pulled it off her, leaving her completely naked. He pulled off his shirt and threw it aside. He leaned over her again and kissed her gently, still holding her hands, which were fighting to break free. She was crying harder than ever, embarrassed and angry, and mostly ashamed of herself because she didn't have the strength to fight him off. Nigael barely had to make an effort to control her now. All he had to do was hold her hands, and she was all his. His gentleness was disgusting, thought Katrina, she hated him, hated the way he was treating her. The way he handled her made her feel like she wanted it too, when she really didn't. It was a sick sight. It was actually as if she wanted it too, because she couldn't get past his gigantic form enclosing her, and he kissed her like she wanted it.

He dropped his trousers off now and was naked too. Katrina couldn't think, because she had stopped thinking a while ago. All she knew was, that she had to grit her teeth and bear with it. Leonard wouldn't be here, and by the time he was, she would have gone. His child would be gone…

Nigael placed himself on top of her again, and by now he had even stopped holding her hands. She could do nothing with him towering over her in any case. It was like a cage surrounding her, no matter how hard she tried, he would block her escaping. Then he brought himself closer to her, closer and closer. He ran his hands softly over her calves…her thighs…her inner thighs…between her thighs…and that's when she began to flail again. So he stopped, and bent down again to kiss her, and mostly to asphyxiate her cries. She gasped in between his intense kisses and fought to get away from his roaming hands, but he still went on. His hands were still stroking her lightly, his lips pressed against hers, his tongue exploring her softly. She was trembling with repugnance.

Nigael grasped her legs and separated them. She thrashed violently, but it made no difference. He was clutching her firmly at her calves and he began to move into her, slowly but surely. Tears stung her eyes like acid. They began pouring down her eyes and oh the pain, she couldn't stand it. She couldn't even scream now, with his lips smothering her. She clenched herself, trying in vain to keep him out, but he pushed harder into her. It was like he was ruthlessly drilling into her. It was painful, but no matter how much it hurt her, she wouldn't unclasp herself. Oh the shame of it all, she thought miserably, the count's wife raped in her own chambers…

"Why can't you relax," he said harshly, as he pushed harder and harder into her unyielding body, ignoring her aggrieved cries.

She continued to cry, and he smiled cruelly, "that's okay, you don't need to relax, the better for me and the worse for you," at that moment he callously shoved himself deep into her and she screamed and stars erupted in her stinging eyes.

Halfway there, Leonard knew what was happening, he could feel it. He could hear her silent pleas, and could feel her pain. I'm coming…just a little while more and I'll be there…hang on Katrina…

But she wasn't hanging on too well. She had cried herself hoarse now. He was being gentle with her, no doubt, but he had destroyed her emotionally. He was confusing her, alternating between gentleness and ruthlessness. Why was he doing this? At one moment, he would kiss her, almost with a hungry, longing love. But at others, he would emotionally ruin her, satisfying his carnal desires. Katrina had never felt so broken in her whole life. She was pregnant? Didn't he realize that? Didn't he know the disgrace of forcing oneself on a pregnant woman? He had destroyed her honor in one swift move. He continued to purge her of any dignity she had had through his continuing thrusts into her unwilling body.

"Don't fight me," whispered Nigael into her ears as she continued to weep noisily and thrash under his mighty frame. "I know you love me –

"I hate you!" said her muffled scream, "I hate every bit of you, you make my skin crawl –

"I know I make it crawl," he said driving himself deeper and deeper into her with every word, "I make it writhe with pleasure."

"Oh god," she screamed as he waged war on her delicate form.

"I told you before Katrina," he said maliciously, "I told you the more you fight, the more you suffer, and the more you struggle, the harder I fuck you."

"Please," she said, "Not so hard –

"Why not?" he said gasping with pleasure, "you wanted it. You wanted me to fuck you as hard as I could didn't you?"

She grabbed his hair, that crow-like black, messy hair and she yanked it. It didn't do anything for her, and if anything, he went harder on her.

Leonard was close now; he could see the castle, a pinprick on a distant hill. He was also exhausted, having flown over a hundred miles. He was getting closer…the castle was getting bigger…just a few minutes now…hang on…

But Nigael was close too…

"He's coming Nigael," she managed to say, gasping uncontrollably and in agony as he pushed into her further…and further…

He didn't even listen to what she had said to him, "Oh god darling, you feel so good –

Still couldn't say anything, choked with disgust as he pushed further…and further…and further…it was pain beyond anything she had felt before. It was like a soul on fire, burning her body along with it. It was strange to hate something so very much, and not being able to fight it at all. So this was what mortal peril felt like…Katrina's brain was jammed amid Nigael's forceful plunges into her, ignoring her pleas, her cries. He was a heartless man.

She whimpered painfully as he impaled her. "I told you I'd make you moan, didn't I?" he whispered.

Indeed he did, but it was in pain, not in pleasure. Leonard was closer now…very close now…

As he drove himself faster and deeper into her, Katrina cried louder and louder…

"Are you close?" whispered Nigael through ragged breaths. She didn't answer.

"I guess not," he said, kissing her and biting her lower lip softly, "I can arrange that…"

He ran his lips down her neck bone and around her slender shoulders. She shuddered violently as his hands found her thighs again and he continued to push himself into her. He kissed her down her neck and to her breasts. She squealed as he ran his tongue, warm and wet over her left breast, tasting her tender skin.

She wouldn't admit it. She loathed herself right now. She hated her body right now. It was betraying her more than anyone had ever betrayed her before. What wouldn't she give right now to be able to throw herself off the castle top? Was her body actually enjoying this torture? She couldn't fight it, and it was overwhelming. But this was not pleasure like she had felt with Leonard, and in fact this was a strange mixture of pain and pleasure. It was more pain than anything, but she hated herself for feeling anything close to pleasure as Nigael forced himself on her. But she giving in to him wasn't she?

Helix was going mad. He was snarling and growling and baring his teeth at Nigael. But he tied up so there was nothing he could do. He had to watch.

"There, I knew you'd come around," he said, satisfied, through her soft, but painful moans. But her momentary guilty pleasure wasn't for long, because she screamed loudly and agonizingly as he began to kiss her passionately, and his intense thrusts resulted in Nigael ejaculating in her.

"N-n-no," she spluttered as he groaned his way back into her, "N-no you d-didn't…"

He didn't say anything; he continued to satisfy himself through her carnal suffering.

"Oh god," she whimpered, "What have I done?"

That moment froze for eternity. The doors were thrown open and there stood a colossal form outlined at its mouth. There was something majestic, unreal and almost magical about that form. He moved forward. Helix looked up expectantly.

It was Leonard.

It was a Leonard Katrina had never seen before. He was the angriest man she had ever laid her eyes on.


	28. Chapter 27

_Chapter 27_

In one swift movement, Nigael withdrew from Katrina, causing her to cry out in pain and he jumped away from her. Leonard walked over to the bed and Nigael made to say something to him. But Leonard had never looked more horrified, or horrific.

"I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time," said Nigael, sneering at Leonard standing there gaping, shocked at the scene before him. Nigael was scrambling back into his trousers, and Katrina was still whimpering in pain. There was a fire in Leonard's eyes; a whitish flame, which lit, the second Nigael spoke those words.

"Really?" said Leonard dangerously, "Because I have been waiting to see you for a very long time too. I am glad to see the man who has molested my wife twice now."

"Oh but I should tell you all about her," said Nigael, with a sinister giggle, "she was wonderful, warm and succulent." He licked his lips, "Just perfect. Too bad she wastes her time on you, a soul-sucking vampire."

"And she should be with you off course," said Leonard matter-of-factly, "because you have been just so kind and gentle with her haven't you? I must say, I didn't take you for man who went for leftovers."

"She is mine now, Count," said Nigael with poise, "And she is coming with me. So I suggest you stand aside while we leave."

"Yours," he said softly, "I see…"

"Mine, yes," said Nigael surely.

"Then let us ask her, where does she want to go?" said Leonard casually.

"Yes, where do you want to go Katrina?" asked Nigael with a sweet smile, "I hope it is with me, with the man who gave you the most pleasure you have ever known."

"You sick, slimy bastard! How could you think I would ever come with you? I hate you more than words can say!" she shrieked, "Leonard off course I am yours! Do something!"

"You heard her," said Leonard with a dangerous leer, "after all that you have done to her, do you really think you are going to leave here, alive?"

Nigael smiled blandly, "I will crush you like I have crushed her," he said, "and it was not a question, it was an order. Katrina will come with me, and her child's father will be me. You may wonder how I know all this, but the answer is simple. You will be dead and all that was yours will be mine. Forever."

"Ah, I see you have planned this all out quite well," said Leonard calmly; his calmness was driving Katrina mad right now. Why couldn't he beat Nigael senseless? Why did he have to talk to him like he was a long-lost friend? She wanted him to pin Nigael against the wall and break him into a million pieces. She knew she would, if she could.

"Now I hate to put you in this situation," continued Leonard, "but you must face the fact that rejection is a part of life, especially when you rape a woman. I do hope you know what that entailed?"

"You are mistaken my friend," said Nigael with a hearty laugh, "this was not rape at all. Didn't I tell you about how much she enjoyed it? It was pathetic, the ease it took for me to sweep her right off her feet. Didn't complain, didn't run or push me away, not once. She wanted me. Oh you should have heard her, just a few minutes ago. Oh the way she moaned when I fucked her, it was beautiful, yet tragic. It was almost as if you had never given her that gratification before. Yes Leonard, you should have heard her passionate moans, oh she loved me then didn't you Katrina?"

Katrina was too shocked to answer. All she did was stare at him, gape at him more like it. Leonard was furious, she could tell, but he was not showing it. There was something working in his jaw, but all he did was smile.

"Well, I am sure she hated your every touch Nigael," he said, with a tinkling laugh, "but nevertheless, you have crossed many boundaries tonight –

"Really? Like what? The only wrong I have done tonight is to give her the best night of her life. Like I said before Leonard, she needed a real man to fuck her the right way now didn't she? You obviously are not so well endowed, so I cant say much there –

Leonard laughed mirthlessly, he laughed for a very long time.

"What is so funny?" said Nigael, a little discomfited.

"Oh it just very sad to see someone suffer so much," he said wiping amused tears from his eyes, "no one has ever loved you before, am I right? So you resort to raping married women now? You are a pathetic little bastard. To top it all off, you tell me my wife enjoyed you fucking her? How insecure do you think I am Nigael? How insecure do you think we are? Do you think I don't know what happened here tonight? I felt every emotion she did and love and pleasure were not one of them."

"You are in denial man," he said, "I have never heard a woman moan so wonderfully before –

"I will crush you like an insect," said Leonard with a smile.

"Just you try," said Nigael angrily, "and let her watch, let her see her wonderful husband beaten and destroyed, just like she was.

"You picked the wrong people," said Leonard with a wild look in his eyes, "you picked the wrong woman Nigael. Didn't you think I would know? I knew it was you who caused the messenger's suspicious death so that I would be delayed. I realized just in time, and I know what I had to do."

"By which time," said Nigael, "you were a little too late."

"Oh, the night isn't over yet," said Leonard, looking a little mad now, with the wild look in his eyes quite prominent now.

"And what are you going to –

"Katrina, draw the hangings around yourself," said Leonard sharply, but smiling madly all the same.

"But –

"I said," he said dangerous, "draw the hangings around yourself."

She drew them instantly, scared.

"Now let us settle this once and for all," said Leonard quietly, "you know I am going to have to kill you, again, for raping my wife isn't it?"

"Kill me Leonard," came Nigael's voice, "I'm afraid I don't –

"Oh but I think you know exactly what I mean," said Leonard with a bark-like laugh.

"You idiot," said Nigael, "how do you expect to kill a dead man? You have killed me once haven't you? Now its my turn."

"Really," said Leonard sneering, "but seem to have forgotten who, and what I am, yes?"

"No, you are a filthy parasite, that's what you are," said Nigael loudly, incensed.

But the next second there was a deafening roar, unmistakably Leonard's, and there was the sound of something being thrown, and a few minutes later, landing with a dull thud on the floor.

But then there was a scramble and the sound of Leonard's voice, soft but wild, "where are _you_ going to hide, you sick bastard?"

Nigael did not reply.

"Answer me!" came Leonard's voice, slicing the silence like a sharp knife.

There was still no answer.

There was another scramble, and it seemed as if Leonard had been hit.

"Is that all you've got?" he said, laughing loudly.

The wolf snarled loudly, and Leonard gave him a genial pet as he went after Nigael.

The next second there was a deafening scream and the unmistakable sound of blood gushing.

"Are you crazy?" screamed Nigael, "What are you doing?" Leonard had slipped open his knife, the long twelve-inch dagger he kept with him at all times.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," said Leonard, with an enthusiastic laugh.

"Aaarggghh," screamed Nigael, "You mad, vile –

"Go on!" yelled Leonard, "Who is going to hear you now? Like it don't you? Don't you like it? Answer me!" Leonard was tearing the skin off his face, and Nigael's screams were deafening.

Katrina peered through the hangings at last. Leonard was standing by the window, and there was cruelty etched on every feature, and was holding Nigael I one hand. Nigael's nose was shattered; his mouth gushing blood and his arms were bent at odd angles.

Katrina gasped, sickened. She couldn't look…

"I said don't look Katrina," shouted Leonard through Nigael's screams.

Next second there was the sound of a thump on the floor and a sickening, "Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump…"

Leonard was breaking his face…

"Oh god!" shrieked Nigael, "you madman –

"It feels good doesn't it?" yelled Leonard. Laughing like a madman, he continued to stab him.

Then with a deafening screech, there were no more screams. Leonard withdrew from his neck, leaving two deep bite marks, and rivers of blood flowing down his clothes. His eyes were still open, lips parted to let more blood gush through them and nose shattered. It looked like he had been attacked by a pack of vicious wolves.

The wolf stared as if dumbfounded. It had stopped growling and snarling now. All he could do was stare at his master.

Katrina didn't yell, "stop," or do anything. She was glad Nigael was getting what he deserved, even though it was making her sick to her stomach.

"I will be back Katrina," said Leonard softly beyond the hangings. He had untied Helix and the wolf followed his master in awe as they left the room.

All that Katrina heard was the repeated dull "Thump" of Nigael's head hitting every step as Leonard pulled him by the shin…


	29. Chapter 28

_Chapter 28_

She didn't know how long she sat there, reliving the night's events, but she was there for a long time, scared and badly shaken. She was shivering behind the hangings when they were suddenly shoved aside roughly. She gasped loudly and made to run, but she hesitated. It was a very haggard looking Leonard.

"Oh its only you Leonard," she said closing her eyes with relief.

He didn't say anything. He merely stood there and looked at her. She couldn't bear to meet his eyes, so she looked away, determinedly. He turned away from her too and went to stare outside the window. The moon was high now, it was finally night. Leonard continued to look outside the window.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" asked Katrina, incredulously, but he could sense the hurt in her voice she was trying so hard to conceal.

He sighed, and then he turned around to look at her. He didn't mean to do it, but her apologetic look had started to transform into a pitying one.

"I don't know what to say Katrina," he said sadly.

"Do something," she choked, "I don't know, scream at me, hit me, throw me out of here forever, tell me I don't deserve you or your child, and tell me you hate me –

"Why would I say any of that?" he asked softly, but Leonard was shocked beyond words at what she had just said.

"I betrayed you Leonard," she said indignantly, "I have shamed you. Can't you see?"

He gaped at her, but now he was the one to look indignant, "_You_ have shamed _me_? Are you feeling all right? Have your brains been addled with?"

"What do you mean?" she said, hurt.

"How was any of this your fault?" he asked her angrily.

"How was any of this my fault?" she asked disbelievingly, "I have robbed our family of its honor. I have lost your reputation, and I have shamed you. Did you happen to see what he did to me Leonard?"

"Are you mad?" he yelled at her, and she stopped abruptly, shocked. "How can you say such things? I never believed it of you Katrina Mihaela Drago, I never thought I would hear such words from you. How could you say that! You have not lost any kind of honor, if anything you have brought some more. You were brave."

"Am I wrong?" she said, weeping silently.

"Off course you're wrong!" he hissed furiously, "It was not your fault that that wretched man forced himself on you. It was not your fault that you couldn't do anything about it. And mostly, it was not your fault how you felt. I know that is what is bothering you, I could feel it. I could feel your shame."

She was stunned. He was right off course, but she didn't want to say it. She was mortified that she had felt pleasure or anything close to it when Nigael raped her.

"I know you," he said softly, "just remember that. I know you better than anyone. I know what you love and what you hate. I know everything you fear Katrina, and I know and understand everything you felt tonight."

"No," she cried, "no, you don't understand. How can you stand there and not see it? Leonard, I am a traitor! I can't believe that I betrayed you like that, but believe me when I say I couldn't help it. I really couldn't. How can you understand and accept what I felt tonight?"

"You are only human," he said gently, trying to calm her, "you can't control everything Katrina. That is your problem. When something out of your control happens, it has to be your fault. Tell me what could you have done tonight?"

"I don't –

"Tell me," he said dangerously.

"I don't know Leonard," she said choking back more tears, "I don't think I could have done anything. He was too strong for me. He was much too strong. I fought him every step of the way, but after a while, I was exhausted. I didn't have the strength anymore."

"I know Katrina," he said tenderly, "that is why none of this is your fault. It is all mine."

"What?" she said disbelievingly, "and what have you got to do with any of this?"

"Oh, you know it's my fault," he said stung, "why would he attack you Katrina? Simple, it is because he wanted to crush my pride, my love and everything I had. Why did he rape you instead of kill you? Did he tell you that?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly, "but I don't believe his poisonous words."

"What did he say?" he asked curiously.

"He said he would rape me because it would injure your reputation more than killing me, because you didn't care if I was dead or not," she said brusquely.

"My, my, that is a good story. I must say, he has put a lot of thought into this," said Leonard with a sneer.

"I don't believe him Leonard," she said hurriedly, in case he got the wrong idea.

"I know," said Leonard glancing at her, "I trust you Katrina."

She made to get out of bed, but Leonard jumped to her side immediately.

"Don't get up," he said urgently, "you need to relax."

"No Leonard," she said pleadingly, "I really need to go to the bathroom. Please help me up."

He lifted her up from the bed and put her down. She walked, but it was slow because every step sent a shooting pain through her body. Leonard followed behind her, holing her hand and leading her gently.

She had taken a few steps, when suddenly it was as if a mallet had hit her on the head. She collapsed. Luckily, Leonard caught her just in time, and just before she hit the ground. He hadn't expected this at all. But he knew there wasn't anything seriously wrong, it was the pain and the emotional pileup when had erupted in her. He carried her back to the bed and laid her gently down. She was cold and clammy he realized, when he touched her neck. He would have to call the doctor soon.

But within minutes, he could feel her skin returning to its normal temperature, so he decided to wait it out. She was still out cold. Leonard bought a bowl full of warm water and a small towel from the bathroom. He dipped it in for a while, then drew it out, squeezed it and pressed it lightly on her forehead and her cheeks. It took a few minutes, but slowly, she began to stir.

"What happened?" she said groggily.

"Oh, you fainted," he said smiling at her, "don't worry, you're going to be all right."

"I know," she said softly, "you're here with me now." He surged with sick guilt.

He kissed her forehead and put his hands on her eyelids, shutting them.

"Thank you Leonard," she said.

"For what?" he asked, surprised.

"For saving me," she said gently, "again."

He couldn't bear to look at her then. There again was the burning guilt in him. It had been his entire fault and he knew it. Why did she still love him? Why was she talking to him like this? She should have hated him, left him, and tried to hurt him. But she did nothing. She looked at him like she looked at him everyday, with that promise of undying love. He wanted to shake her and tell her she had made a big mistake the day she said, "I do."

"Leonard?" she asked, looking at him.

"Mmm?" he replied, coming out of his thoughts.

"Why do you put me through all this?" she asked him, wounded.

"Put you through what Katrina?" he asked wearily, but knowing the answer.

"Why are you blaming yourself," she said sadly, "and breaking my heart?"

He sighed miserably, "I have been very stupid. I think you should leave me, and you should go back to your parents. You are not safe with me."

"Are you sending me away?" she gasped, "you don't love me anymore?"

"No, no!" he said hurriedly, "I love you more than I did when we married. I don't think you should love me Katrina. I can't believe you had to suffer all that derogation because of me. I will never forgive myself for it. I don't think you should stay with me…"


	30. Chapter 29

_Chapter 29_

She was crying like she had never cried before. Leonard was shocked, stunned and didn't know what to do. Nothing could make a woman cry that much, he thought. What did I do? He made to put his hand on her shoulder, to do something, but she shook it off her like it was venomous. He couldn't believe he had made her cry like that. Even Nigael couldn't hurt her, the way Leonard had.

He began, "I didn't -

But he didn't know what happened next. She got up, and slapped him as hard as she could. He was flung backwards a few steps and she glared at him, infuriated. He just stood there for a minute, surprised she had actually hit him. She hadn't ever done that before. He came back to calm her down but there was no hope. She was really in a state. She wrenched her hands out of his when he tried to hold her. She screamed at him when he said anything. And the worse of it was, she kept saying how he didn't love her anymore and how he had betrayed her.

"How could you say that?" she screamed, "after all of this, after all I have endured! You…you…"

"I said it for your own safety Katrina," he said exasperatedly, still rubbing the cheek where she had slammed it a few minutes ago, "and I thought you might be glad to go, seeing as I inflicted this upon you!"

"Don't lie to me!" she yelled, "you have never… said such a sick, vile, twisted thing to me! How could you?"

"But I didn't want -

But she had had enough. She sat up in bed, flung her arms forward and clutched the collar of his shirt. It was still stained with Nigael's blood. She wrenched him forward.

"You listen to me," she said dangerously, but the effect was ruined by her agitated hiccoughs, "I don't want any of this nonsense ever again in this house, got it?"

"What I –

"No," she said wrenching him closer, quite violently, "how dare you accuse me of not loving you. Who gave you that right? I stood by you through everything didn't I? And not even once have I thought that this is your fault. You are mad Leonard! And worse, you madden me! God, I have loved you more than anything, I have given you all of me, and then you want me to leave?"

He pulled her hands off himself gently and said, "I didn't mean it like that Katrina." He looked very scared now, "I thought that maybe you thought this was my fault too, because I think it is. That is why I said, if you didn't love me anymore, you could leave and I wouldn't say anything. But I didn't say I don't love you? If I could die, I would die for you! There is no reason for you to doubt my love!"

"Then don't doubt mine," she said angrily, "please Leonard. Say it once more, do you love me?"

"I love you more than anything in this entire world," he said softly.

"If you love me so much Leonard," she said, "then promise me something okay?"

"Anything you want Katrina," he said, puzzled.

"You will not say any of those depraved things you said to me today," she sobbed, "you will not say that this was your fault, because in my eyes, it was no one but Nigael's fault. I never want to hear that again. And more than anything, I never want to hear that you want me to leave you or you want to leave me."

"I promise," he said gently.

"Good," she said.

He held her gently, hoping she wouldn't push him away. This whole thing had gotten way out of hand. He wished he could shake the feeling that it was his entire fault. He understood her point of view though, that it wasn't their fault at all. It was true for the most part. Nigael had tried his hardest to tear this family apart, tried to steal his wife and unborn child. But he failed, thought Leonard with satisfaction. But he failed, at a great cost. But no cost is enough, thought another part of him, because you have your family.

He kissed her forehead lightly, sure now that she wasn't going to attack him anymore. She seemed to calm down quite a bit too. For a while, they lay in each other's arms, saying nothing at all. There was too much to say, but no words to speak. They could only look into each other's eyes, and there was everything they needed to know. There had been a whirlwind of emotions for both Leonard and Katrina tonight, and still, there was nothing to say.

After a few minutes she said softly, "Leonard, I desperately need to take a bath."

"But I'm supposed to keep an eye on you," he said concernedly.

"You can get in with me," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, please," she said.

So he got the bath ready, a tub of steaming water. It was quite late at night now, and this was usually the time they went to sleep. But for Katrina, there wasn't really going to be sleep for a long, long time.

She slipped her robe off and got into the tub with the already sprawled Leonard. He looked tired, very, very tired. He leaned against the head of the tub and relaxed his head on it. Katrina lay on him, between his legs and his arms, wrapped around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and felt a drowsiness overcoming her. Thank god, she thought, as she recalled how Leonard had rid them of Nigael. He might think he was too late, she thought, but he saved the baby and me…

"Leonard," said Katrina.

He grunted. He had clearly been quite soundly asleep, but she had woken him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said gently, "I just needed to talk…"

He was wide-awake now. He sat up slightly; the bathtub was not comfortable for a tall man like him. But it was very uncomfortable for her. Nigael had raped her, but he had also physically harmed her. She could feel tiny cuts and schisms sting as she sat in the hot water.

"No, no darling," he said, stifling a yawn, "I'm awake. I just dozed off."

"I feel strange Leonard," she said, hinting. The water was making it worse, now it was as if there was a knife slicing her gently between her thighs.

"I know Katrina," he said sadly, "I wish I could do something –

"No, Leonard," she said nervously, "you don't understand. I mean I'm in pain."

"Pain?" he said, "where? How?"

"Oh I can't say it Leonard," she said, wincing in pain, "I just can't say it, I wish you would just guess and be done with it."

"Okay," he said thinking, "what kind of pain is it? Physical, emotional…"

"Physical," she said, recoiling again as she made to shift positions. The steam was hot and was rising up, wetting her face, her hair and her neck.

"Oh, is it because of him –

She nodded, still gasping once in a while as the hot water grazed her tender skin. His hands moved under the water's surface, feeling her. The bruises on her thigh dark under the water and raw cuts between her legs an angry red throbbed as he ran his fingers over them.


	31. Chapter 30

_Chapter 30_

"I think I had better call the doctor," he said hurriedly, getting out of the tub, "there is something wrong."

She looked scandalized.

"What is wrong?" she asked, panicking.

"You're all cut," he said worriedly, "I really have to call the doctor now."

He helped her out of the tub, wiped her dry and put the robe and a cloak around her.

"I will be a minute," he said, "let me tell Igor to do it so that I can be here."

He left hurriedly, slamming the door behind himself. She sat there, worried now. It was true, she knew she was hurt quite badly, but she didn't think Leonard would panic so much. She ran her fingers down herself too. He was right, they weren't blatant cuts, but she was no longer smooth. It was as if a knife had made miniscule incisions on her, and in her, she realized. Leonard came back a minute later, locking the door behind him.

"It is okay," he said, "don't worry, I have sent for the doctor. She will be here in no time at all."

"I don't know what is to become of this Leonard," she said, worried, "why is all this happening to me?"

He came close to her and hugged her tight. She clutched him with all her might, wishing he'd never let go.

"We've been through too much," he whispered, "but I promise, you will be fine and I will be by your side every step of the way."

She was crying again, but at least this time, it was with slight happiness. She was relieved. She knew nothing would go wrong as long as Leonard was there with her.

They waited for a while. Mostly it was comfort from Leonard and choked nods from Katrina. She didn't want to hear what the doctor had to say. But inwardly she was thanking god she was pregnant already with the right father's baby. If she hadn't been pregnant, Nigael would surely have impregnated her. But wait…

"Leonard!" she said, panicky, "Suppose we lose our baby?"

He shook his head warningly, "Don't think like that Katrina, our baby will be just fine alright? Don't think like that, it is unhealthy for you."

But she was sobbing again. "No Leonard," she said suffocating in her own tears, "if we lose our baby, I don't know what will become of me. I will die –

"Nothing is going to happen to our baby," he hissed angrily, "you have no reason to even think of this Katrina. Stop it right now."

She was scared now. Leonard was angry. She had to have faith that their baby was going to be fine didn't she? Besides, her stomach felt fine, it was somewhere else she had to worry about…

"But suppose I cant have any more children because of this?" she blurted out.

He gave her a lethal look, and she was silenced.

Then there was a knocking at the door and Leonard sprang up to open it.

"It's the doctor," came a woman's voice from beyond the door.

"Just a moment," said Leonard sharply.

He opened the door and chivalrously stood back for the lady to enter. She wasn't Katrina's usual doctor. This doctor was a homely looking woman who looked more like a housewife than a doctor. She was plump, middle-aged, but she was a good-looking woman. She came in, stopped to shake Leonard's hand and smiled genially at him. Then she noticed Katrina sitting on the bed. Katrina got up to greet the woman, but she hurriedly pushed her back on the bed.

"Don't get up my dear," she said urgently, "my name is Mrs. Latsq," she extended her plump hand forward and shook Katrina's slender one.

"My, you're a pretty girl," she said smiling, "don't need to worry dear, I'm here to put you right."

Katrina smiled at her, but she was in too much pain to actually mean it. Leonard brought a chair for her to sit in. then he sat down next to his wife and put his arm around her.

"Now, I'm sorry," said Mrs. Latsq, "but I was summoned here in quite a hurry and I do not know what the matter is. So please, I would like to know what the problem I am facing here is."

Katrina looked worried. She didn't want to have to repeat what she had said to Leonard, again. She was mortified and didn't answer. Leonard sensed this, so he spoke up instead of her.

"Actually doctor," he began apprehensively, but Katrina have him a reassuring nod and he continued, "my wife here, well, I don't know how to put this any better, but ah…" Leonard was obviously struggling with this.

Mrs. Latsq gave him a curious look and after he continued to falter, she said with a genuine smile, "You know, I am a doctor. You don't need to hesitate to say anything in front of me at all. I heal young women like her every day. Please, I must know to be able to do something."

Leonard seemed a little more reassured and said, "Well see, this is hard to say, but I was away for a couple of days and when I returned this evening, I came home to find a man forcing himself on my wife."

The doctor gasped loudly, and Katrina blushed and looked away. This is what she hadn't wanted, someone's sympathy.

"My dear girl," said Mrs. Latsq horrified, "I am so sorry."

But she changed instantly to a business-like manner and continued, "You know, I see girls like you everyday. But not to worry child," she pulled out a piece of parchment, "I will help you."

The couple looked relieved she hadn't pressed them for details.


End file.
